


Alchemy Lullaby

by Glacecakes



Series: Alchemy Lullaby (Dadgene baby Varian AU) [1]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe, Baby Varian, Baby Varian (Disney), Child Abandonment, Child Abuse, Dadgene, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Found Family, Fred doesn't suck AS much, Gen, Kidnapping, Moon Powers Varian (Disney), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Child Abuse, Varian Needs a Hug (Disney), mompunzel, set during season 1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:01:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 55,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25816972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glacecakes/pseuds/Glacecakes
Summary: Of all the changes that came with living in the castle, becoming a father was not one he anticipated.When Eugene encounters a small child suffering like he did, he gives them the opportunity to grow up the way he never did... helping them both heal.(AU where Varian is 4 and gets adopted by Eugene)
Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Varian, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel, Rapunzel & Varian (Disney)
Series: Alchemy Lullaby (Dadgene baby Varian AU) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2100729
Comments: 444
Kudos: 580





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been thinkin about this for a lil bit, and then I rambled with saad and neet who had some brilliant ideas (thanks for those) and well, here we are. Also shoutout to finnoky for an ADORABLE baby Varian design that I'm imagining in this scenario lol.  
> Be warned there's brief child abuse, only like 2 sentences of it though. And while there will be angst in this fic that's likely gonna be the only outright abuse.

Eugene grumbled, muttering to himself as he walked through the streets of Corona. That’s not to say that he didn’t enjoy it here, quiiiiite the opposite. Life with Rapunzel in the castle was a dream. In the past six months Eugene hasn’t needed nor wanted anything but only Rapunzel’s happiness. If she was happy, so was he. Unfortunately, that was something he had in common with Cassandra. It was the only thing they seemed to have in common, because he refused to relate himself to that ice queen any further. 

The reason why he was muttering was because he had misplaced his favorite brush (though he suspected Cassandra stole it to mess with him), and hey, Eugene, since you’re going into town, can you run a few errands for me? Don’t worry it won’t take you long, just a few dozen shops to visit while me and Rapunzel have a nice relaxing day. 

Cassandra totally stole it just to get him to do her chores. Total jerk move. 

He’d managed to get most of the things on her list, the only thing left was food for the animals. Apples for Max, mostly. The horse was like a chainsaw, ripping through apples like an axe through wood. It was terrifying and intriguing at the same time. 

Thankfully, Cassandra supplied him with the funds and a cart in order to buy all of this stuff. 

“Two crates of apples, please.” Eugene mumbled, not looking directly at the seller, as he was deep in thought, mostly cursing Cassandra. The woman, short with wild red hair, easily hauled the apples into his cart without a word. He paid her, eyes trained on the cart, when he saw it. 

The crate rumbled, apples moving ever so slightly. He was a seasoned thief, he knew what that meant. 

In any other situation, Eugene probably wouldn’t have cared. It was likely only a few apples. But he was cranky, and he didn’t want to be here, and also  _ had he really gotten that sloppy? _ He used to be Flynn Rider, now thieves were stealing from right under his nose! It was a matter of pride, more than anything else.

“Oi!” He called. He couldn’t see the thief, but he heard the telltale squeak of a guilty ruffian, and the pattering of footsteps. 

“Watch my stuff?” He asked, and before he could get an answer, he bolted after the thief. His boots thundered against the pavement, following the sound of the footsteps. They were faint, whoever this thief was must be light on their feet and damn good at going unnoticed. He weaved through the crowd, unable to catch a proper glimpse. All Eugene could see was that the figure was small, or maybe they were crouching? And they were damn fast. Eugene nearly tripped over himself on multiple occasions trying to follow them. He was getting rusty. If Cassandra was here she’d laugh her ass off. 

They turned into a narrow alleyway, and Eugene followed shortly after. 

The walls were tall and imposing, casting a shadow on the otherwise sunny day. This part of the capital was on the poorer side, with rundown houses and boarded windows. He hasn’t been in here in a while, now that he lived in the castle. But he’d used this general area as a hideout in his youth. He knew this road was a deadend. 

“Got you,” he muttered, stalking down the road. “And just who do you think you are, stealing from… me?” 

His voice trailed off, and he stared at the scene in shock.

Standing before him was a child. An incredibly tiny, incredibly scared child. 

The small boy backed up in fear, practically huddled in the corner. His gangly limbs trembled like a leaf in the wind. His wide blue eyes were misting with crocodile tears, a few dripping onto his tattered clothes. He reached up to brush his hair out of his face, revealing a single shock of blue hair amongst the jet black. 

Eugene took a step forward, and the boy took a step back. He whimpered. The ex-convict held up his arms in surrender. “It’s ok,” He breathed, slowly kneeling down. The child regarded him with terror and a hint of intrigue. “I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.” He picked up the apple, brushing the dirt off. It’s red sheen caught the kid’s attention. With how small the child was, he must be malnourished. Eugene’s hand opened, and the fruit slowly rolled back over to the boy. He eyed it before snatching it up and holding it close. He looked over at Eugene, an unspoken question glinting in his eyes. Eugene nodded, and the boy dug into the apple like a feral racoon. Juice spilled onto the dusty ground as he ate.

“Woah!” Eugene chuckled. “Slow down before you choke!” The little boy giggled. 

That seemed to do the trick, as the fear slowly trickled from his eyes, being replaced with a childish joy. Eugene offered him a small smile, and he got a buck-toothed grin back. 

“What’s your name, kid?”

The small child wiped his mouth with a tattered sleeve. “I’m Varian,” He said. 

“Nice to meet you, Varian. How old are you?”

“I’m four and a half!”

Eugene raised an eyebrow, his smile dropping down to a concerned frown. Four and a half!? That was  _ way _ too young to be by himself in the streets. He and Lance didn’t leave the orphanage until they were 12! Even  _ that _ was too young! And before they left, they were definitely fed more than this. The boy was a stick! Why was he out here, left to the streets to survive or die? What pushed this child to steal to survive? 

He cleared his throat. If he hadn’t, he probably would have started to cry. “It’s nice to meet you, Varian. Where... where’s your parents?”

Varian shrugged, digging his bare feet into the dirt. He was completely oblivious to Eugene’s mounting concern. “Dunno. Momma told me to wait here.”

Oh thank god, he just got separated from his mom. “When was that?” If it wasn’t too long ago, maybe his mom was among the crowd?

Varian hummed, deep in thought. “Uhh... the big lantern party.”

Never mind. 

Eugene blinked, trying to comprehend. “The… the lantern festival. The one that was 6 months ago. That one?” Varian nodded. Eugene fell silent, completely shell-shocked by that revelation. Taking the silence as an invitation, Varian toddled over to Eugene. 

“Sorry for taking an apple, I was just really hungry…” His r’s were slightly slurred, sounding more like a w. It was painfully cute. What kind of monster would ever abandon such a cute child? Big blue eyes gazed up at Eugene. “Are you mad?” he asked.

“Mad? Why would I be mad?” 

Varian frowned, fear refilling his eyes. “Momma didn’t like it when I took the apples... I was just so hungry, and she had a buncha em in a big box, but she yelled at me.” His lips wobbled, lost in the memory.

Eugene grabbed his shoulders gently. “Hey hey,” he coaxed. “You shouldn’t take without asking, but if you’re hungry, all you gotta do is ask, ok?” He bit his lip. A small part of him really wanted to believe that he’d just gotten separated from his mom, that whoever she was, she was looking for Varian, but realistically… This poor kid was in the same boat as him. Thrown out into the world and told to get used to being alone. 

What should he do? He can’t exactly take Varian back to the castle, can he? 

...Can he? 

No, he was still new to living in the castle. Maybe if he and Rapunzel were engaged, he could have gotten away with it. But Rapunzel wasn’t ready for marriage, so there was no doubt she wasn’t ready for this, either. Even if every atom in his body screamed to not let another child fall through the cracks like he did.

He sighed. “Varian,” the little boy looked up at him. “I….” how was he supposed to tell Varian? “Can I take you somewhere safe?” 

Varian cocked his head, confused. 

“You… you can’t stay here on the street, you need to be cared for, fed properly.” He added the last part to entice the kid. It did the trick, as Varian nodded. 

“Will you be there?” He asked. 

“N… no, but I can visit?” That soothed the screaming in his mind. He held out a hand for Varian to take.

Varian pondered his offer. “Do you promise?” 

“Sure kid, I promise.”

A tiny hand slipped into his. Eugene couldn’t help but marvel at the size difference. 

The two entered back into the crowded streets of Corona, and it was like a switch had flipped. Instead of only speaking a few words when asked, Varian babbled happily about anything and everything he could, from why he thought the sky was blue to a raccoon he saw the other day. He was a little chatterbox, even with his cheeks stuffed with the rest of the apple. Eugene wiped up the spare juice that fell from his lips, earning him a giggle. Even the people around them cooed at how adorable he was. How adorable they were together, as a family. It pained Eugene how nice that sounded. 

At some point Eugene had lifted Varian onto his shoulders, letting him see everything Corona had to offer. The excited kicks to the face were worth it. 

“I was listenin’ in on one of the schools, through the window,” Varian babbled. “Did you know the clouds are made of water? They’re made of puddles! After it rains, the puddles disappear back into the sky and then come back down again!”

“Oh really?”

“Yea! The mol...molecools…” The word was stuck on his tongue. The fact that he even knew the word was impressive, what else did the kid pick up? Orphanages don’t have the best education, he knew that first hand, all that intelligence would die there…

No, stop it Eugene. You cannot take him to the castle. Even if he is adorable, and smart, and just like him…

Suddenly, he felt violent smacks to the top of his head. Varian was bouncing up and down, practically screaming in excitement. 

“Momma!” He yelled, squirming off of Eugene’s shoulders before he had the ability to process what just happened. 

Eugene chased after him, bumping through the shoulders of passersby, until he finally spotted Varian tugging at the pant legs of the apple seller. Varian mentioned his mom had a lot of apples… oh no. 

He raced up to the stand. His cart had, thankfully, been left untouched.

“Momma, Momma, Momma, I missed you!” Varian sang. “I waited for a while, but you never came back, and I had to take food, but I know you don’t like that, I just was suuupeer hungry…” He continued his excited babbling, completely unaware of the mounting dread Eugene felt. 

The woman looked down on Varian, eyes narrowing. She seemed agitated, almost furious and even… disgusted. Eugene’s heart fractured and fell deep into the pits of his stomach. 

_ Oh no. Please, no.  _

Those fractures lit on fire when she saw the woman kick Varian away. The small child slid into the street with a cry, and the woman turned back up to staring into the crowd as if nothing had happened. 

As if she hadn’t just kicked her  _ son _ . 

Eugene moved to intervene, when little Varian, undeterred, waddled back up to his mother’s side. “I’m sorry, momma,” he mumbled. For what, Eugene had no idea. The man paid the child no mind. He didn’t even blink. 

“Momma?” Varian tried again. “Momma, I’m sorry I made ‘nother problem. Can we go home?” 

Eugene’s fire was extinguished almost instantly, frost curling inside of him, up his throat. He was speechless. 

So was Varian’s mother. She continued to ignore her son. Varian’s lip wobbled, and a single tear fell onto the dusty path. That was followed by more, and soon Varian was letting out hiccupping sobs. 

That snapped Eugene into action. He walked up to the stand, acting completely nonchalant. He didn’t thank the woman for watching his cart, he’d never forgive a mother who abandoned her son. Wordlessly, he pushed the cart forward, scooping Varian up as he moved. Varian made no effort to fight back or protest, he simply curled into the man’s arms and cried. 

“I’m so sorry,” Eugene whispered, leaning down and placing a kiss into inky black hair. Varian gripped onto Eugene ever so tighter. 

To hell with what Rapunzel or Cassandra, or anyone else said. He would not let the same fate that befell him repeat. 

Varian had a home, starting today. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian meets Rapunzel, Cassandra, and a special friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have decided to give this thing a plot, because I hate myself! I'm committing to a new multi-chap fic right before school starts! This will in no way backfire! :)  
> I'm going from college class meets twice a week to classes meet every day for at least an hour each and i am. DYING. this is gonna be a nightmare I am actually sick from stress lol. and what better way to destress than writing dadgene!

Varian wasn’t very chatty during the walk to the castle. He seemed almost nervous, hiding his face into Eugene’s shoulder whenever someone looked their way. The cracked cobblestone gave way to paved brick as they entered the grand gates. The sun gleamed off brass gates, reflecting the sun onto Varian’s face. It prompted him to peek out from his hiding spot. 

He gasped. “It’s pretty…” 

Eugene chuckled. “It is, isn’t it? Nice place to live, if I do say so myself.”

“You live here!?” Varian shouted directly in Eugene’s ear. He nearly dropped the child as he flinched. Sheesh, this kid could be quiet as a mouse one second, and loud as a lion the next. 

“Yes, I do, I’m dating the princess, ok?” He whispered. “We gotta be quiet though, we’re going inside a fancy place and we need to act fancy.”

Varian nodded fervently, making a zipping motion to indicate his mouth closing. “What’s the princess like?” He whispered. Well, it wasn’t really a whisper. More like a quiet yell. 

The man couldn’t help the lovestruck expression. His eyes softened as he stared ahead. At the end of the hallway stood Rapunzel, in all her blonde glory. Her hair seemed to catch the sunlight as it filtered through the window. “She’s wonderful,” Eugene said. 

Rapunzel looked up, and her eyes brightened when she saw him. “Eugene!” She called, walking over. Her grin was infectious, and Eugene felt his own face lifting up. It fell pretty quickly when he saw Cassandra behind her. 

“They seem nice,” Varian whispered, squirming a little in Eugene’s hold to get a better look. 

Eugene grumbled, shifting his hold on the child. “One of em is,” He muttered. 

Rapunzel’s bare feet barely made a sound on the floor. She stopped in front of them. “Hi Eugene, welcome back! Did you get everything you needed?” 

“I did, and I even had time to get a little extra.” Varian blushed.

Cassandra gaped, unable to comprehend the child in front of her. “I’ll say.” 

The princess leaned down. She stayed at Varian’s eye level, keeping her face kind and welcoming. Why Eugene brought a kid to the castle she wasn’t sure, but she trusted him. He had a reason, and whatever it was, she’ll help out however she can. 

It didn’t help that the kid was terribly cute, it’s like Eugene went out and found the cutest one he could! She resisted the urge to coo at his big blue eyes. “My name is Rapunzel. What’s yours?” 

She got a grin back. “Varian!” He sang, swinging his feet in Eugene’s grip. “Your hair is suuuper long, and pretty!” His eyes lit up in wonder as Pascal climbed into view. He wiggled out of Eugene’s grasp, landing on the floor with boundless energy. 

“That’s a chameleon!” 

“It is! You’re very smart!” 

Varian giggled. His ragged clothes scraped against the clean floors. “Did you know they can change color?” He glanced over to Pascal, and the reptile began to shift colors, prompting excited squeals. 

Oh, Rapunzel was head over heels for this child. He was so precious! 

Cassandra, on the other hand, marched straight up to Eugene. “Why is there a child in here?” She hissed. She didn’t care how cute this kid was, that was all Rapunzel’s field. Let the princess distract him so she could figure out why the child was here and get him back home. Eugene’s stolen a lot of stuff, but a child? Would he really do that? He’d been clean in the 6 months he’d been here, so to steal a child seemed a bit out of character for him. Wait, he technically stole Rapunzel back from Gothel, right? Did that count? 

“He needs a place to stay,” Eugene responded coolly. 

“And his parents are....”

A dark look took over Eugene’s features. “No. He’s not going back.” 

Ah. Thief with an impulsive heart of gold. Great. Cassandra pinched the bridge of her nose, rolling her eyes. “If he has no parents, he should go to the orphanage.”

“Are you kidding?” Eugene hissed. “That place will just chew him up. Look at him, Cass,” He gestured to where Varian was rapidly describing how the sun was a star, like all the others in the sky. Rapunzel nodded as if she understood every word. 

“I can’t send him back.” Eugene sighed. “I just can’t.” 

She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “You? Taking care of a kid? Puh-lease. You’ll last a day.” 

Eugene huffed. He knew it’d be a struggle to convince people to let Varian stay, but he was not willing to debate this with Cassandra. The king, the captain of the guard, maybe, but her? No way. 

“I will watch him all of today, and when I’m done,” He hissed. “You don’t get to judge me for letting him stay with me. Got it?”

Cassandra stuck out her hand. “One day. Till bedtime. You’re on your own. But when you get overwhelmed and send him to the orphanage, I don’t wanna hear it.” 

He took her hand. “Deal.” He looked over to where Rapunzel had taken Varian into her arms, swinging him around. 

“Come on, Varian,” He called. “We gotta get you checked out by the doctor. And a bath.”

Varian gasped. “No! No bath!” He gripped onto Rapunzel like his life depended on it. The princess took it as an invitation to wrap him in a tight hug, and the little boy stuck his tongue out at Eugene. 

Cassandra’s smirk grew. “Good luck, Fitzherbert.” And with that, she sauntered off. 

He rolled his eyes. How hard would it be to take care of Varian? The kid was a delight.

-

The kid was no longer a delight. 

Eugene groaned, rubbing his face in frustration. The doctor check-up had gone smoothly, with Varian sitting in his lap for the duration. But once it was over, it was bath time. The kid really needed it, too, he was covered in months worth of dirt and grime. Without anyone looking after him, it’s a miracle Varian didn’t die of pneumonia or some other disease. 

“Come on, Varian, this is not up for debate,” Eugene said. He pointed his finger at the now lukewarm tub. “Get in the tub, young man.”

Varian hissed from his spot on top of the shelf. “No!” He cried. 

“Varian, get down here now!”

“No! You can’t make me!” 

The little kid may not have known much love in his short life, but now that he had it, his true personality was shining through. And that personality was sweet as pie to strangers, and a little shit to his family.

Though to be fair, Eugene wasn’t sure if he counted as family yet. Would Varian see him as an uncle, a brother, a dad? He couldn’t deny that he sort of hoped for the last one. How weird. Yesterday he hadn’t even thought about being a father, he had just failed at getting engaged. And now he was taking care of a small child he hoped to call his own. 

Though, with how he was acting, Varian was more like a small raccoon than a child. 

“Varian, come on. If you don’t get clean you’ll get sick, or worse, ugly. Get in the tub _now_.” 

Varian simply glared. Why did he need a bath anyway? He’d been sick before, and that was when his mom was taking care of him. He’d been clean then. Clearly, Eugene was wrong in that baths = not sick. Baths were cold, and wet, and the towels were rough and painful! 

Eugene sighed. He wasn’t getting anywhere with yelling. “Look, let me reheat the water, and then you need to get in the tub, ok? You need to get cleaned off before dinner, otherwise you won’t be allowed to eat with Rapunzel and I. Do you want that?”

“No…” The little boy bit his lip in thought. He liked Rapunzel, she didn’t wear shoes, like him! And she had really long, pretty hair. Maybe if he asked her, she would let him eat dinner without getting a bath?

The fire under the tub flickered to life, hot embers scraping the bottom of the wooden barrel, but didn’t ignite it. Eugene was paying full attention to the flickering light, letting his shoulders sag in relief. Man, Varian was just like him at that age… full of spunk and awe at the world. 

His awe got crushed and snuffed out. His job was to make sure Varian’s wasn’t.

“Ok, Varian, let’s try this again.” He turned around. The shelf was empty and the door swung on its hinges. 

“...Varian?”

-

The toddler fumbled down the hallway, taking delight in watching the sun dance through the windows. Maids stared in shock as the small child made himself at home in the spacious castle. Some cooed, others tried to call out to him, but he paid them no mind. The mission of finding Rapunzel disappeared from his mind. Now, he was taking in all the sights, pretty lights and fancy vases, the likes he’d never seen before. It was all so new! Can you blame him? 

He turned a corner, and discovered this hallway was much grander than the ones before! In front of him was a massive double door. Its brass handles were far out of Varian’s reach, so that room was sadly off limits. But that’s ok! There was plenty of stuff to explore. 

Man, wait till Eugene hears all about how incredible this castle is….

….where is Eugene anyway?

Well, Varian knew he was still in the bathroom, but he didn’t know where that was. He didn’t know where to find Rapunzel, either. This castle was enormous, she could be anywhere! What if he never found her? What if they never found _him?_

Where was Eugene? He wanted his Eugene! He’d promised Varian he’d stay with him! He said he and Varian would be together for as long as he wanted! And he wanted him now!

A few tears budded in his eyes, and before he knew it, he had sat down on the carpeted floor, crying small sobs. Soft hiccups escaped his throat. 

“Oh, hello there. I almost didn’t see you.”

Varian looked up through blurry eyes to see the tallest man he’d ever met. His legs were skinny, but his arms were massive, covered in dark metal armor. He wore a red cloak, pinned in place by a circular pin. The man’s eyes were kind, but steely. He leaned down, pinning his gaze on the child. Varian was so surprised he nearly forgot why he was sad. 

“Hello, little one. What’s your name?” 

Varian blinked. “Varian…” he murmured, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Varian.” The man smiled. “Now, what’s a fine man such as yourself doing here?”

“Eugene said this is my home now, and it’s really nice here! But I got lost…” The tears began anew. “I sorry, I didn’t mean to run off, I just really hate baths!” He wailed.

The man reached out, an armored thumb brushing away the tears. “Hey hey, no need to cry. I’m sure Eugene understands. Baths can be scary, but if you add soap, they can be a lot of fun! You can make shapes!”

Varian cocked his head. “What’s soap?”

“Varian!” 

The boy turned around and brightened considerably at the sight of his new caretaker. “Eugene!” He cried, reaching his arms up and happily accepting the hug he was swept into. 

“God, you scared me kid, gonna give me a heart attack,” The young man joked. He stood up, the tall man following suit. “Thanks for finding him, uhh…”

The man laughed. “Quirin. I’m a friend of the king’s. You must be Eugene? Varian has something to say to you,” He looked expectantly at the child. 

Varian focused his big baby blues on Eugene. “Sorry for running… I take the bath now?”

“Sure kid, any requests?”

Varian looked back at Quirin, who gave him an encouraging nod. “Soap?” He asked. “You can make fun shapes with it.”

Eugene laughed. “I was fully planning on dowsing you in soap, you little trash possum, you.” Varian giggled. “Thanks again, Quirin, really.”

The man gave a final wave, before turning and opening the doors to the throne room. 

“Come on Varian, let’s get you clean so we can eat dinner. Rapunzel asked the cooks to make you a real treat. You ever had pasta?”

“No!” Varian gasped, and they walked back down the hall. 

Behind the grand oak doors, Quirin bowed for the king. “Your majesty, I am honored to return to Corona,” he said. 

Frederick smiled. “Ah yes, Quirin of the Dark Kingdom. You have been tracking the black rocks, yes?”

“Ever since they left the Dark Kingdom’s borders, yes.”

“Good, then I assume you know about our… situation?”

Quirin nodded. “I have a plan, your majesty.”

The king leaned forward. “I’m listening,” He said. 

-

After Varian let Eugene bathe him, the leadup to dinner went off without a hitch. He’d need to buy Varian his own clothes, but for now he gave Varian the smallest shirt a maid could find. He was drowning in it, but it was better than nothing. 

Since the king was busy with formal affairs, dinner was just them, Rapunzel, and the queen, with Cassandra standing by. 

They entered the dining hall, and Varian’s face lit up like a rocket. “Punzel!” He cried, letting go of Eugene’s hand and flying into the princess’s waiting arms. “Hi Varian!” she said, rubbing their cheeks together. “Ooooh, you are just the cutest thing ever! Look at you!”

Arianna looked mildly surprised. She’d been informed of Eugene’s new ward, but to see him in person was a whole other thing. “You must be Varian,” the queen said. “I’m Rapunzel’s mom.”

Varian gasped from his spot in Rapunzel’s arms. “Woah! You must be so old!” 

Eugene choked on his breath, racing over to grab Varian out of Rapunzel’s arms. “Ok, bud, none of that, please and thank you. You’re gonna get me killed, I swear.” Honestly, this kid was a riot. Arianna, thankfully, seemed more amused than anything. “What makes you say that?” She prodded, curious as to the child’s reasoning. 

“Well, hair grows when you get old, and Rapunzel has a _lot_ of hair.” The boy spoke as if he was an ancient professor bestowing sacred knowledge to his pupils. “So if she’s old, you must be _super_ old.” Anything else he was going to say was cut off by Eugene covering his mouth. 

“Bud, lemme tell you from experience. Don’t call ladies old, they really don’t like it.” He whispered. Varian’s eyes widened and he nodded, taking those words very seriously. 

They all sat down as dinner was served. For Varian, it was a simple spaghetti and butter, but to him it was a steak dinner. He’d only been allowed the food his mother didn’t eat, and once he was left behind, getting meals became even harder. He called having bread a good dinner. But now, it was as if it was a million loaves of bread, and butter! He’d only ever heard of butter! Momma had butter, but he wasn’t allowed to have any, she said they could only afford enough for one. 

After that first bite, he was off to the races. He shovelled as much food as he possibly could into his tiny mouth. Spaghetti flew off his fork and into the napkin Eugene put in his lap, and butter smeared his chubby cheeks. 

Eugene could only watch in shock. He knew Varian was living off the streets, but… wow. This kid could really eat. Here’s hoping he puts on a little weight now that he lives here. But he’s going to make himself sick! 

Cassandra started laughing in the corner, and that snapped him out of it.

“Woah kid,” Eugene grabbed onto the fork. “Slow down or you’ll choke.” Varian let out a noise of complaint. “I won’t choke!” He cried through a mouthful of spaghetti. Some of it fell out of his mouth. Those words caused him to choke, though, and he coughed, sending spaghetti flying. A strand landed on the queen’s face. 

Eugene winced. Ooh, he was in so much trouble. 

Rapunzel covered her mouth to hide her own laughter. She’d only seen him a few times, but now she understood why Eugene was doing what he is. It warmed her heart that Eugene wanted to help a child, make sure he had the childhood Eugene had dreamed of. So much so that she’d asked Cass to give him the benefit of the doubt. Her boyfriend was totally capable of handling a child. But this one was a whirlwind, and a funny one at that. 

Sure, they were both a little young, and not planning on getting married anytime soon, but if this child needed a place to stay and people to look up to, she was more than happy to do so. 

Gracefully, she stood up and walked around the table to where Varian was still hacking. She grabbed a spare napkin. Carefully, she began to wipe off the tyke’s face.

“Do you want some water?” she smiled. Varian nodded, greedily drinking when the glass was handed to him. 

“See, Varian, this is why I asked you to slow down,” Eugene chided. 

“Sorry…”

“Hey, it’s fine, it was an accident, no one got hurt.”

Varian frowned. “Momma used to tell me I was an accident.” It was more to himself, trying to connect the dots and understand what the word _accident_ meant. 

The room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. 

Finally, Eugene found his words. “No, you’re not an accident. An accident is dropping a cup, or coughing up spaghetti onto the queen. You being here was destiny, ok? You belong here. As long as you want to, you’ll have a home with me.” 

Varian beamed. “Thank you, Eugene.” 

The man wrapped the kid into a hug. “Anytime, kiddo.”

In the corner, Cassandra watched silently, thoughts racing a mile a minute.

-

They’d be setting up a proper bedroom for Varian within the week, but for now he was staying in the guest room next to Eugene. After stuffing his face, he was exhausted, falling asleep in Eugene’s arms as he carried him to bed. 

“Goodnight, Varian,” Eugene whispered, raising the blankets up around the toddler. His heart melted at how cute Varian looked all bundled up and snoring softly. He blew out the candle and slowly exited the room. 

Only to come face to face with Cassandra. 

He frowned. “I’m not sending him back, Cass. I can’t. I won’t.” 

For a moment, Cassandra gave him an unreadable look. Then, she sighed. 

“Did you know I was adopted?” 

Eugene startled. “Really? You and the captain sure have a lot in common. Like the stick up your asses.”

Cassandra rolled her eyes. “In fact, I was his age. Varian’s,” She said. 

“I don’t remember my birth parents, the trauma of it all, I guess. My dad saw a kid in need and… he took me in. Sure, there are some things we disagree about but… Sometimes, I wonder. What would’ve happened to me if I stayed with my parents. Or if I ended up at an orphanage. Would I have ended up like you? On the streets? Or worse?” She folded her arms. “I guess what I’m trying to say is… I’d be a hypocrite if I judged you for taking Varian in. You’re doing a good thing. And… if you ever need help, you know where to find me.”

Eugene smiled. “Thanks, Cassandra. Have a good night.”

“You too.”

-

“Are you sure this is a good idea, Quirin?” Frederick sighed. “The last time you were in Corona… it didn’t work out well for you, did it?”

Quirin sighed. “No, it didn’t. But that was five years ago, I’m sure the people have moved on.”

“Let’s hope for everyone’s sake you’re right. Alright, you have my permission. I’ll have a room set up for you.”

Quirin bowed. “Thank you, your majesty. Rest assured, I will find the source of your kingdom’s rocks.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAA I love dadgene so much I'm so tempted to make Eugene go "my son now" but I gotta actually. build it up somewhat. Curse character arcs  
> If it wasn't clear, instead of settling in Old Corona, Quirin focused on controlling and stopping the spread of the black rocks.  
> Next chapter is part of an art trade with the lovely finnoky, it'll be up within the week!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Settling in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was part of an art trade with the lovely finnoky, who was kind enough to let me set it in this universe! He asked for new clothes and a nightmare, I hope you like it!
> 
> School starts up for me on monday so updates may slow, but since I write late at night who knows

One thing Eugene learned fast about Varian was his hatred towards mornings.

The kid was  _ not _ a morning person; while Rapunzel rose and set just like the sun, and Eugene had to get up early to help the guard, Varian would happily sleep well into the afternoon unless he was physically pulled out of bed. And even then it was a struggle to get Varian dressed, with him sleepily complaining and moaning the whole time. It didn’t help that Varian didn’t really have any clothes of his own. All they had were the clothes the King and Queen kept from their hopes of Rapunzel coming home. Depressing, and also too small. 

So, when Eugene pulled Varian out of bed this morning, he decided it was high time to get Varian clothes of his own. 

“Good morning, you two!” Rapunzel called, bright and cheery as ever. It had been only a few days since the dinner, but since then Varian had quickly become a staple in the castle. They were almost late to breakfast because all the maids wanted to say hi and pinch his cheeks.

But who could blame them?

“G’morning Punzel,” Varian murmured. He curled further into Eugene’s arms, safe and warm. The kid would be bouncing around after breakfast, but until then he was a little cuddlebug. Not that Eugene was complaining. 

“Are you excited for today?” The princess asked, stepping into place beside Eugene as they entered the dining hall. 

Varian cocked his head. “No. Why?”

She laughed, ruffling the tyke’s hair. “Eugene’s taking you into town today. You’re gonna get some new clothes, and some toys!”

“ _ If _ he behaves for the tailor, he’ll get some toys.” Eugene corrected, smiling at how Varian’s eyes lit up. 

“Oh come on, Eugene! What’s the harm in indulging a child every now and again?” 

“Yea!” Varian nodded. “Indulge me. What’s indulge mean?” 

Rapunzel bopped his nose, earning her a giggle. “It means getting you a gift just because! And I think you deserve one.” 

She’s not wrong. Despite the occasional hiccup, Varian’s adjusted pretty well to his new life, maybe concerningly so. Children need boundaries, they need stability! And this may be the first time he’s ever had that. Besides, he’ll need toys eventually, all kids do. 

Eugene sighed. This was a losing battle. “All right, we’ll go get some toys. But!” He sent Varian an overly dramatic stern look. “If you behave, I’ll let you get a few extra. Deal?” 

Varian’s feet swung happily. He bounced up and down in the man’s arms and nodded so fast his head may as well fly into space. “Deal!” 

-

Varian babbled happily, skipping along with one hand in Eugene’s. It was like the kid never breathed, seamlessly switching between topics like it was no big deal. In fact, he kept talking right up until they entered the tailor’s. Then, his words morphed into a “Woah,” mid sentence. 

Varian gazed around the shop, overwhelmed by the bright colors. He’d never seen so many clothes! And they were all so fancy too! He never had more than a few pairs of clothes. 

“Mister Fitzherbert, a pleasure,” The shopkeeper said as he approached the duo. He was a thin man, with a long, pointed beard, and his hair kept in a low ponytail. Eugene had been coming to him ever since he started living in the castle.

Varian’s happy demeanor vanished almost instantly, being replaced with an unreadable, even steely expression. Even though Varian acted upbeat and bubbly to the palace staff, he was still nervous about strangers. Eugene knew from experience that not everyone was nice on the streets, and Varian unfortunately had to learn that fast. 

“Hi Francis, looking good as ever!” Eugene chimed. He kept his voice positive to calm the child. “This is Varian, he’s staying with me. Varian, this is Francis, he’s gonna help you get some new clothes, ok?”

Varian pouted. “What’s wrong with my clothes?” He liked his clothes! They kept him warm during the winter and cool during the current summer. His shoes broke halfway through his time on the streets, though. He’d been barefoot like Rapunzel up until now. 

“Well…” how do you politely tell a child he was wearing rags? “You just need… new ones. Nicer ones! You gotta look your best!”

It wasn’t the best argument, judging by the way Varian fidgeted uncomfortably. He clung a little tighter to Eugene’s hand, sizing up Francis, unsure if he was safe. 

The man kneeled, never letting go of Varian’s hand. “Hey, you’re safe here.” he whispered. “Francis just wants to help. Your clothes were ok on the streets, but you need different clothes for palace life. I’ll be here with you, ok?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Varian nodded. “Ok,” he mumbled. 

For his part, Francis did his best to appear friendly. “Right this way, you two, I just need to get the young man measured for fitting.”

The process was pretty straight forward, with Francis keeping his tone light and Eugene showering the child in praise. Slowly but surely, Varian relaxed.

“Ow!” Varian winced, flinching when a pin poked him in the side. “Why do I need to get poked again?”

“Beauty is pain,” Eugene responded deadpan. Francis rolled his eyes. 

“It’s to make sure it fits, young man.” he said. “And it won’t if you keep squirming.” 

For his part, Varian seemed satisfied with the answer. He liked to ask a lot of questions, his mind constantly whirring and wondering. While Eugene adored him, it got exhausting real fast. He couldn’t keep up with Varian’s mind half the time. Before he could answer one question, the kid would ask another. It was fine when they were simple questions, like why Rapunzel was busy, or when was bedtime. But the other day Varian had asked him what air was made of. What was Eugene, an encyclopedia? He didn’t know! 

Finally, Francis stepped back, giving the child an approving gaze. “Well, don’t you look handsome!” he cooed, and Eugene couldn’t help but agree.

Gone were the green rags and ruined sleeves. Instead, Varian wore a sea green sailor shirt with white buttons and a yellow clip-on tie. His white pants were stainless, but for how long who knows. The boots were near identical to Eugene’s own, practical but stylish. 

To put it simply, he looked precious. 

Gosh, the old him would’ve laughed at current him.  _ Gushing over a child? Flynn, kids are cute, but come on! _

For his part, Eugene kept his cool. He gave Varian a grin and a thumbs up, earning a toothy smile back. 

“What do we say, kid?” Eugene chimed, mimicking the phrase that he’d heard so many times.

Varian cocked his head in confusion. “You’re welcome?” 

“The other one.”

“Oh!” Varian turned to Francis. “Thank you!” Then he turned back to Eugene.

“Sooo… was I good?” 

Eugene barked out a laugh. “Yeah, kid. You were good. We can get you a toy or two.”

The look on Varian’s face was brighter than the sun. 

-

Rapunzel sighed as she stepped out of her final meeting for the day. As much as she’d wished to go with Eugene and Varian to the store, she’d sadly had other duties to attend to. 

God, that kid was cute. He was so curious and sweet, and yet the pain of his past shone through the cracks. It had been a shock to see Eugene come home with a newly adopted(?) toddler to take care of, but something about him drew her in almost instantly. Motherly instinct? Fondness for Eugene’s kind heart? Something else? She couldn’t tell. Whatever it was, Varian was here to stay for as long as he wanted, and Rapunzel would treasure every minute of it. 

Speaking of him, a shrill “Punzel!” sounded from down the hall, followed by the pattering of fast footsteps. 

She whipped around, and  _ oh,  _ she might melt at his new outfit! 

“Look at you!” She gasped, effortlessly scooping him up into a hug. All those years of pulling Gothel up a tower meant Varian weighed nothing to her. 

“Who’s this handsome young man? If I recall correctly my Varian doesn’t wear buttons!”

The little boy laughed, delighted. “Punzel, it’s me! I wear buttons now!”

“You do!? But that can’t be! My Varian doesn’t wear shoes either!” 

Varian responded by quickly removing his shoes. “See? It’s me!” 

Rapunzel bit her lip, desperately trying not to burst into laughter. “There he is!” She squished their cheeks together as they hugged. “Now, where’s Eugene?”

“Over here.” a muffled voice called.

Eugene stumbled ever so slightly, face hidden by several boxes. They were filled with books, stuffed animals, and various other toys. 

“So much for  _ some _ toys, huh?” 

A red face peaked around the boxes. “He’s very convincing.” In truth, Eugene pretty much grabbed whatever Varian so much as looked at. Kids needed boundaries, sure, but they also needed a place to start from. And Varian, before today, didn’t have a single toy. All he had were the few baby toys the King and Queen kept, not nearly enough for an almost five year old. Eugene never had much growing up either. He’d shared with the other kids in the orphanage, sure, but he himself only owned four or five toys over his entire childhood cooped up there. If he was to give Varian the childhood he deserved, the one orphanages couldn’t, that included enrichment and entertainment.

Well, that and Varian was very convincing. 

“Come on, bud, let’s go put these in your room.”

The child’s room was quickly coming together. He was given a bigger guest room just down the hall of Eugene, near the stairs to Rapunzel’s room. That way, he could reach either caretaker easily. While he still didn’t have much furniture outside of the typical bed and dresser, his bed was full of plush toys, perfect for cuddling into. A plush white rug sat in front of the bed, and in the corner of the room a toy chest was now full of puzzles. The bookshelf was full of a bizarre mix of child books Eugene picked up, and the classics previously in the guest room. It was truly starting to look like a proper room to be lived in. The rest of the day passed relatively peacefully, thank goodness. The outing and following room decorating took out most of Varian’s toddler energy, leaving him pretty tame all the way up to bedtime. 

But it was at bedtime things quickly went south.

_ The moon sat high in the sky, its full light shining down on the small figure darting through the trees. He didn’t know where he was going, but he just had to get away! Get away, get away before they hurt him! He’s not safe here! _

_ Where was here, again? _

_ Varian skidded to a stop, his chest heaving which each breath, tears streaking down his face and blurring his vision. He hastily wiped the tears away. Just a few feet in front of him was a familiar face. _

_ “Momma?” He called. His mother didn’t respond. “Momma!” He tried again, running up to her… _

_...Only for a large, black rock to shoot up in between them. _

_ Varian let out a shriek of terror, stepping back as another shot up. Then another, and another. Slowly they jutted out towards him, sharp points gleaming under white light. Varian took one step backwards, then another. Then, he turned around and began to race back in the other direction. The rocks only picked up in speed, trailing behind him. _

_ “It’s your fault!” His mother cried, her voice booming. “You rotten child, I left you for a reason!” _

_ Varian whimpered, legs aching from the running. A stray rock shot up from under his foot, and the small child went tumbling down a massive hill. Down, down, down, he rolled to a stop on the forest floor.  _

_ He tried to pull himself up, but found himself too exhausted. He was cold, scared, and tired.  _

_ Looking up to the sky, Varian cried out for help, “Eugene! Eugene please! Where are you!” _

_ As if he had spoken Eugene into existence, his caretaker loomed over him.  _

_ Varian held out his hands, begging Eugene to pick him up. Carry him away, back to the castle where he was safe and happy with Rapunzel and Cassandra! _

_ Eugene gazed down, eyes cold as the moon in the sky. He shook his head.  _

_ “It’s your fault,” he said emotionlessly. Then he walked away. _

_ The tears returned tenfold. His lip wobbled, and Varian couldn’t stop the wail that escaped him. _

_ “EUGENE!”  _

_ The black rocks caught up to him, faster than before, closer and closer and closer-- _

Varian shot up out of bed with a heartbreaking cry. 

He wheezed for breath, grabbing the first toy he could find: a stuffed raccoon. A tear fell onto the plush toy. Then another. And then a third. Soon, Varian was sobbing wildly, unable to control his tears. 

It was his fault! It was always his fault!

....What was his fault again?

He hiccuped, and finally looked around. No longer was he trapped in the cold, huddling next to a building in an attempt to stay warm after another sleepless night. He was in the castle, safe, with Rapunzel upstairs and Eugene down the hall.

...Eugene!

Varian slipped off the bed, stuffed raccoon in hand, and quickly opened the door.

The hallway was barren, empty this late at night. Moonlight shone through the windows.

_ Moonlight reflecting off obsidian rocks as they came closer and closer-- _

Varian whimpered, rushing down the hall to Eugene’s room.

Eugene was always a light sleeper. It came with never having a stable home life. If the smallest of doors creaked, he needed to be ready for an attacker at any time. 

But he had a feeling this was no attacker.

He opened one eye, and sure enough, Varian was quietly staring at him from the doorway.

“Hey bud,” he whispered, sitting up. “You can come in, just give me a second.” A small part of his mind complained about being woken up. That part quickly shut up when he lit a candle and saw the tear tracks on his ward’s face. He opened up his arms, and the dam broke. A blue and black blur shot into Eugene’s arms, and the man let out a small  _ oof. _

Varian shook in his embrace, the adult’s shirt quickly becoming wet as the child cried out his fears once more. “Hey, shh, it’s ok,” Eugene whispered, pulling Varian in close. “You’re ok, you’re safe.” He rocked them both back and forth, letting Varian cry it out while he comforted him. 

“You wanna tell me what happened?” Tiny fingers dug into Eugene’s night shirt.

“I had a dream you left me…” Varian whimpered, and Eugene’s heart splintered.

He sighed. “Aw bud, I’m so sorry. It was just a dream, though. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. And even if I was, I’d take you with me.”

“Really?”

“Sure, kid.”

That seemed to partially do the trick. The tears were rapidly drying, and Varian seemed spent, but he still clung to Eugene like a lifeline. The man weighed his options for a moment. On the one hand, Varian needed to go back to his room. Being able to sleep alone was an important step at his age. But he’d been doing ok before… So would it be ok to let him stay one night?

Eh, screw it. His kid, his rules. “You wanna stay here for tonight? Just tonight, though. Tomorrow you gotta sleep in your room.” Varian nodded into his chest. He just wanted proof that Eugene was here, that he wasn’t going to leave him. 

“Alright.” Slowly, Eugene lowered them both onto the bed, Varian atop his chest. The adult pulled Varian close, tucking them in together. “I got you, Varian. You’re safe with me, I promise.” He pressed a kiss to inky black hair, and Varian hummed, content. His eyes slowly slid shut, lulled to sleep by Eugene’s steady heartbeat and the all encompassing warmth.

Eugene closed his eyes, smiling. 

“Good night, kid.” 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra and Eugene still don't get along, so Rapunzel and Varian take it upon themselves to... push them along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this idea in my head since the very beginning. Essentially, this is a rewrite of Cassandra v Eugene, so if you haven't seen that episode, I suggest watching the first 20 minutes of it cuz I didn't want to rewrite every single scene. Otherwise this chapter would never get done. This is likely gonna be the only chapter that's an episode rewrite, the rest is all new-ish content.  
> Shoutout to the Team Awesome and Scar Varian server for the support! If you wanna join them for some quality dadgene message me on tumblr for the link :)
> 
> EDIT: fixed the tenses WEEPS

The earth on which Quirin walked was scorched and barren. Its dull brown was of dead soil, a stark contrast to the jet black rock protruding out of it. Quirin’s weary hand brushed across smooth rock, wiping away the bits of dirt and dust stuck to it. He sighed. Another village on the brink of ruin.

He’d seen it many times since his departure from the Dark Kingdom. It starts out small, a few rocks here and there. Then, they form clusters, and the offshoots become bigger and bigger, until spikes the size of horses are thrusting out of the earth. He’d even seen a poor soul impaled on one as it shot out underneath his feet. Soon enough, the rocks become too unbearable, too dangerous to live by, and the village is abandoned. Entire lives uprooted, ancestral homes abandoned, families separated by the diaspora. He knows it’s inevitable, that it will happen to this village too. 

He also knows why. 

She’s standing right in front of him. 

“Ulla.”

The woman was loading barrels into a cart, but she stopped at her name. Her red hair was tied into a messy bun, the shoes of her feet caked in mud. She brushed dust off of her dress. 

“Quirin,” she responded. She doesn’t turn to face him. “You finally found me, huh?”

“I did. There’s no more running.”

How does he start this conversation? He hadn’t seen her in over five years. For better or worse, he’s uncertain.

“...I wouldn’t take you for a farmer,” Quirin managed.

Ulla laughed, throwing her head back. “It’s my family’s home. I never thought I’d be back.” Her words turn dark at the end. Silence engulfs them both. 

Then, she sighed. She turns, and she’s just as beautiful now as she was back then. An extra wrinkle stretched across her eyebrows, but otherwise, she was the same. 

“Why are you here, Quirin?” She asked.

“You know why.” 

At this, the woman scowled. She turned back around, fists clenched. “I don’t have it.”

Quirin blinked in shock. But… she had to! He’d been tracking the rocks for _years_ , he knows how they work! What they are looking for! How can she not have it?

“Ulla, I saw you take it.” he said, exasperated. 

“I didn’t have it then either!” She snapped, turning around to face him. Her eyes are wild, flushed with an anger the likes which Quirin had only seen in one other person. 

That man was rotting in the Dark Kingdom with only a bird as company. 

“That’s impossible,” Quirin responded, growing more ire. “Look around you, Ulla. The rocks have been following you all along. You settled in a town where they are sprouting. Tell me why I should believe you!” 

Ulla rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “The rocks stopped growing months ago, Quirin. And they were never following me. Because I _never had it._ Trust me, I _wish_ I had it! I took it for _myself_! And yet, here we are!” She threw her arms into the air. 

The air was still. Even the birds were silent. 

Ulla lowered her arms. “If I had it, the world would be a much different place, trust me.” Her words are bitter. 

Quirin groaned, because she’s not wrong.

That doesn’t answer his question, though. 

“If it’s not here… where is it, then?” 

-

Varian squirmed uncomfortably on the wooden stool he was seated on. “Can I move now?” He whined.

“Almost, just finishing up…!” Rapunzel chimed from behind the easel.

It’s not that he didn’t want to help Rapunzel, really! He really, really liked her! She was warm, gave the best hugs, and was constantly fretting over him like he’d seen other moms do. While Eugene was like the dad he’d wished for whenever he saw families pass by, Rapunzel was everything his momma wasn’t. 

But he really didn’t want to sit still for ages while Rapunzel painted him. There was so much to see, so much to do! Toys to play with, treats to try and steal, places to hide in when he got caught trying to eat said treats…

“FITZHERBERT!” 

Both Rapunzel and Varian flinched at the scream. The paintbrush scribbled across the canvas, leaving a blue streak across painted Varian’s eyes. The sundrop groaned, throwing her head back. That was the 4th portrait ruined this week! 

“Come on, Varian,” She sighed, and the child scrambled off the stool. “Let’s go see why they’re fighting today.” 

Varian gripped her hand tightly as they entered the foyer. Eugene and Cassandra glowered at each other from across the room. 

“I don’t know what you’re so upset about!” Eugene cried. “No wait, wrong choice of words. I don’t _care_ what you’re so upset about!” 

Rapunzel fought back a groan. _Why_ did they have to do this? Since Varian had come into the castle they’d toned back on the fighting, what with Eugene being too busy with Varian instead of having nothing to do except annoy Cass. After his disastrous first day, the small child had been a bit anxious to be anywhere without Eugene close by. But Varian was fully settled in now, and knew his way around as well as the people within his new home. So he was willing to hang out with other people sans Eugene.

Leaving the man free to annoy Cassandra to his heart’s content. 

Cassandra’s voice dripped venom. “Not only did you take my halberd without asking, you got your _disgusting_ hair all over it!” She spat. If looks could kill, Eugene would be back in Rapunzel’s tower bleeding out. 

“How dare you!” Eugene crossed his arms. “First of all, I did not touch your halberd. Second of all, what is a halberd?”

Cassandra held up a massive weapon, and Eugene’s eyes lit up in recognition. 

“Oooh! A halberd! Ok, ok, you got me, but check this out!” He gestured to his face. “Smooth as a baby’s bottom!”

“Try a monkey’s.” The lady in waiting bit back as Varian ducks behind Rapunzel. At first, the princess worried he’s scared, but realized he’s biting back a smile. The child may look up to Eugene like he hangs the stars in the sky, but he’s still a child, and the insult was rather funny. 

“Ok everyone,” Rapunzel moved them both forward, stepping in. “Let’s take a deep calming breath, ok?” She exaggerated her breathing, motioning up and down in time with her breath. For his part, Varian dutifully took a breath alongside her. 

Neither Eugene or Cassandra take the breath. Instead, they kept going. 

“To be fair, I asked several, several times,” Eugene crossed his arms, as if that ends the argument in his favor. 

That only angers Cassandra more. She slammed the pole to the floor. “And I said no! Every time!” 

“Which shouldn’t matter, because we both know I don’t listen to you!”

Varian cocked his head in confusion. “Does that mean I don’t have to listen to her?” He whispered to Rapunzel. Eugene glances over like he’s won the lottery.

“Yes! Yes it does, my little pupil. Never listen to what Cassandra says!” He laughed, and Varian nodded eagerly. 

Cassandra’s teeth grind together. Any more and they’d be dust. “Your little brat already doesn’t listen! Anytime I try to fix his sleeves he screams and _tries to bite me!_ ” The child’s chest puffed up slightly at that, proudly displaying his rolled back sleeves. 

“Oi, don’t call my kid a brat! He’s teething!”

“VARIAN IS FOUR!”

“Guys,” Rapunzel tried, putting on her best diplomatic voice. “This is ridiculous, come on.”

Neither Cassandra nor Eugene pay her any mind. It seems they’re only focused on one-upping the other, bouncing back and forth. She had seen enough. They’d be at it all morning at this rate. All she could do was gently lead Varian out the door, and out of earshot. Knowing those two, they’d be exchanging some words she didn’t want Varian learning.

“Hey, Punzel?” Varian tugged at her dress. “How come they don’t get along?” 

The princess sighed. “I wish I knew.” 

Varian glances down, tiny fists clenched. He’d seen many fights in his time on the streets. From couples bickering to business deals gone south; while Varian had never actively participated in a fight, he’d seen them from around the corner. He’d heard them at night when he tried to sleep under a warm windowsill. 

Rapunzel noticed his unhappiness and leaned down to his level. “Hey, it’s ok. I’m sure they’d get along if they just spent a little one-on-one time together. After all, you didn’t know Eugene till he spent some time with you,” at the last word she poked his nose, earning a faint smile. 

Wait a minute… that was it! They just needed some time together! Eugene had been busy with settling in and then Varian, and Cass had her duties, so they never really spent alone time together… but since Varian would be with her today, and Cass had the day off, what better time than now? 

“I just had the best idea! Why don’t you and I set up a little fun for them, hm?” The small child’s eyes lit up in excitement. 

-

Varian hummed, running down the hallway. In his hand he held a letter, carefully folded and marked _To Fitzherbert_. As much as he would’ve loved to add his personal touch to the letter, Rapunzel made it clear that it had to look like it came from Cassie. 

Varian didn’t hate her, perse, he didn’t hate anyone! But Cassie grimaced anytime he called her that, and she was mean to Eugene, and Varian loved Eugene! How could anyone hate him? He’s nice, and gives great hugs, and he’s funny…

Speaking of Eugene, he was right around the corner, chatting with one of the guards Varian had no desire to learn the name of. He let out a little squeal of excitement, picking up speed to run straight into his caretaker’s legs. 

“Eugene!” He cried, delighted. The man stopped his rambling and his eyes lit up at the sight of the boy.

“Heya, kid!” He ruffled inky hair. The little tyke’s adoration was overwhelming in the best of ways. Eugene would do anything to keep that smile plastered on Varian’s face. It was a similar love to the one he felt towards Rapunzel, but… different. 

“I have a letter from Cassie,” Varian held the note out with both hands, big blue eyes pleading with Eugene to take it.

“Ah, making you do her dirty work, is she? I thought I said you didn’t have to listen to her?” Eugene chuckled, taking the letter.

Oh no! He had said that! Oh, Varian was in big trouble wasn’t he? His smile faded rapidly, and Eugene panicked. “Whoa whoa, no need to be sad, I’ll read it! Thanks for bringing it!”

It was still a struggle for Varian to let go of his old habits. The biggest one was being afraid of messing up. The kid had his sassy moments, but he always did as he was told no matter what. And anytime he thought he made a mistake, big tears would dribble down pudgy cheeks. It broke Eugene’s heart. It was a slow process, getting Varian to understand mistakes were ok, but hey, he didn’t cry today! That’s progress! 

Varian gave him a weaker but still bright smile. “I gotta go back to Punzel now, love you.”

Eugene chuckled. “Alright, bud. You know the way?” 

“Mhm!”

Eugene gave him one last hair ruffle, and the toddler marched off like a man on a mission. 

So what did Cassandra want from him…? 

-

The dungeon was oddly empty. His boots echoed across cold stone, the only noise he heard in this wing. There weren’t even any guards stationed. 

Let’s see… 32… 33… ah! 34! Cassandra said she’d be waiting in here. 

“Odd place for an apology,” Eugene muttered to himself, stepping into the middle of the prison cell. It was no different than it was during his last stint in Corona’s dungeons. Bleak, uninviting, and cramped. 

“I’m sorry, did you say I was apologizing?” Eugene jumped four feet in the air at the woman’s voice. In the corner stood Cassandra, holding a paper near identical to his own. “Because this letter here says you’re here to apologize to _me_ , for, you know, stealing my halberd.”

“If anything, you should be saying sorry to me! Telling me how to raise my kid, how rude!” Eugene huffed. 

The incoming fight was cut off by the clang of a cell door. 

Their cell door. 

On the other side, Rapunzel twirled a ring of keys around her finger, looking pleased as punch. Varian stood at her side, grin unnaturally wide, like he had just been told Christmas had come early. And maybe to him it had. He bounced up and down, giggling. 

The princess’s slyly grinned, a mischievous spark glinting in her eyes. “Time for the game to begin.”

“What _game_?” Cassandra groaned.

Varian couldn’t keep it a secret any longer. “We wrote the letters!” he blurted. “So you’d come down here, and we’d lock you in!” 

Eugene gaped. His little boy, conspiring against him! “Guys, come on! You wouldn’t just sit there and lock us in right?” ...Right?

“Oh no,” Rapunzel butt in. “We would, and we have.” She steepled her fingers like the criminal mastermind she totally was. “And I’m afraid the only way for you to escape is to work together and solve a puzzle… of my design.”

Her voice took on a more royal tone, sounding more like a decree. “Within these walls you will find a series of strategically placed, increasingly difficult clues, each one more difficult than the last. Put them together, and you’re free to go…”

The little child by her side piped in. “Fail, and this prison cell will become your new home!” Varian’s little giggles grew louder, and louder, until he was full on maniacally laughing. Who taught Eugene’s sweet angel how to do that?

Varian’s laughter cut off abruptly to gaze back up at Rapunzel. “Did I say it right?” She gave him a thumbs up.

Ah. That’s who. 

“Well, good luck!” And with that, Rapunzel took Varian’s hand and left the dungeon, ignoring the cries of protest.

Underneath their feet, on the floor below, their cries of protest weren’t ignored. Two men, hulking and thunderous, perked up at the sound of a familiar foe’s voice.

“Do you think it’ll work…?” Varian murmured, looking down at his feet as they walked. He kicked with each step, deep in thought. 

Rapunzel grinned. “I’m sure it will! Just give it an hour or two, and they’ll be back with us! They’re gonna love what we’ve given them!” The toddler pouted. An hour? That’s like, forever! Oh well, he can wait an hour…

-

Varian couldn’t wait an hour. But to be fair, Varian didn’t know how long an hour was.

He groaned from his spot on the stool. Now that they had peace and quiet, Rapunzel wanted to finally perfect his portrait. He’d been in this stool 5 times now, and each time was worse than before! He couldn’t read, he couldn’t draw, all he could do was sit still as Rapunzel painted him. Each time he was promised cookies for his patience, but cookies just wouldn’t do anymore! Not when there was something exciting going down in the dungeons! 

He flopped over, stomach on the stool. His feet kicked in the air, just barely brushing the floor. How much longer was this gonna take…?

“Pascal, hand me my shading brush?” Rapunzel murmured, no longer paying attention to what Varian was up to. She was too engrossed in her work, finally able to work in peace and quiet. “Maybe after this I can do some knitting… ooh! Or even some baking! Or maybe bake a pie…?” She listed off the ideas, glancing up at her chameleon to see his response. 

Surely, she wouldn’t mind if Varian went to check up on Eugene and Cassie? 

“Punzel… can I go see Eugene?” He asked, practically upside down on the stool.

“Mhm, sure,” she mumbled, too engrossed in painting the background of her portrait to really comprehend what the child was saying. 

It was all he needed. As soon as those words were out of her mouth, Varian sprung up from his seat fresh as a daisy. He raced out the door, carefully retracing his steps towards the dungeon. 

As he descended down the steps, he heard familiar voices.

_“Cut… it… out!”_

_“You cut it out, the jack was my idea!”_

_“Me, me, me, it’s all about me!”_

_“That’s because I’m far more interesting!”_

Varian approached the cell, pleasantly surprised to see the two of them had figured out the puzzle and were at the last step. 

“Hi Cassie! Hi Eugene!” He cried, starling the two adults. The jack, carefully constructed out of the bits and bobs Rapunzel had hidden, went flying. It shattered on the floor and its parts fell into the grate lining the cell floor.

“No!” Cass moaned, reaching into the air in desperation. She collapsed to her hands and knees. “DAMNIT!” 

“Language,” Varian murmured. 

Eugene wailed in annoyance. “My comb! That was the first thing I ever stole!” He glanced over his shoulder to see Varian standing quietly, anxiously. 

The child whimpered. He’d messed up… and now Eugene and Cassie would never get out!

“Hey, it’s not your fault, kid. You just spooked us. It happens.” He held a hand out for Varian to grasp, and the child took the comfort readily. 

“I’m sorry… I keep messing up,” he whimpered. His voice echoed off the stone walls, entering the grate, down to the ears of two brothers who had just found themselves with the materials to build a jack.

“Hey hey, it’s ok, Varian. As long as you’re with me, you should never feel afraid to make a mistake. I mean, I’ve made a lot of em, and I turned out just fine!” 

Varian giggled. “Love you, Eugene.” 

Eugene squeezed his hand a little tighter. “Love you too, kid.”

That was all well and good, but they still needed the jack. Cassandra sighed. “Varian, there’s a few cells down below, the staircase is to your right. Can you run down and grab what fell?”

Varian hesitated. “Eugene said I can’t listen to you,” he murmured, not wanting a repeat of last time. The handmaiden rolled her eyes. She punched Eugene’s arm.

“Ow! Hey Varian, can you run downstairs and grab my comb for me?” Eugene smirked. Another punch. “Ow! And the rest of the stuff?” Wordlessly the child raced over to the staircase, disappearing from view.

“You really love that kid, huh?” Cassandra sighed, watching him leave.

“Yeah, I do. I know it’s only been a couple weeks but… he means everything to me.” His eyes softened. “Just like with Rapunzel. Love changes you.”

Cassandra couldn’t help but smile. “He’s lucky to have you.”

“I’d argue I’m lucky to have him.” 

The two lapsed into silence. Eugene leaned against the wall of the cell, while Cassandra fidgeted with her gloves. 

Suddenly, soft footsteps approached the cell. “Ah, Varian, I take it you found the jack?” Eugene didn’t look behind him.

“Not exactly.”

The man froze. That wasn’t Varian. He knew that deep, menacing voice. 

Cassandra shot up from the bed in shock, and Eugene felt his world shatter as he turned around.

Standing free were the Stabbington brothers. 

Sideburns held the ruined jack.

Patches held a squirming, sobbing Varian. 

  
“Hello, _Rider_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 1 of 2! Mwahahah. From here on it diverges from the episode. Because of school, I have no idea when the next chapter will be out, but I'll almost certainly start it this weekend.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian has been kidnapped, and his family tries to save him.  
> EDIT: now with lovely art by finnoky!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY this took a lot longer than I planned because school wiped me tf out. Warnings for child abuse (kinda?) some violence. Shoutout to the scar Varian discord server, AJ, Izaak, and Ten, all of whom helped me figure out some stuff for the AU! And to all of you! The response to this has been. Incredible.  
> EDIT: ART DONE BY FINNOKY WE SIMP!!!!!!!!!!

Rapunzel gasped for breath as she skidded around the corridor. She’d been perfectly content, finishing up her portrait, when she’d looked up only to find an empty stool. That wasn’t too concerning, since Varian had a habit of wandering off. But she’d checked all his usual haunts by now, from the library’s kids section to the kitchen. Heck, she even checked to see if he’d taken a nap in his room (even though he despised them)! But he was nowhere in sight. 

“Varian!” She called. “Varian, if you’re playing Hide and Seek you’re supposed to tell the seeker!” 

So focused was she, the princess nearly bumped into two massive men striding down the hall. “Oh!” she gasped. “Dad! Hi, have you seen Varian?”

“Hello to you too, Rapunzel,” His father smiled. “Not since breakfast, I don’t think. Quirin?”

The man shook his head. “I’m sorry your Highness. If I see him I’ll send him your way. Varian is the little boy with the blue hair, yes? Doesn’t he normally shadow that Eugene fellow?”

It was like a light went off in Rapunzel’s mind. “Oh!” She gasped. Of course! Varian was awfully impatient, he’s probably helping Cass and Eugene! 

“Ok thanks bye!” She cried, racing back the way she came, leaving the two men alone in the hallway.

“...So, how are you taking to being a grandfather?” Quirin asked.

“Never say that to me again.”

“Understood.”

-

Rapunzel took off towards the dungeons, and sure enough, she could hear multiple loud voices. 

“Sounds like my plan…” Her voice trailed off in horror. She found Varian alright! And there were her two friends… still in prison. “Cass! Eugene! How did this happen?” She bit her lip, eyes wildly searching for an explanation. 

For a moment, everyone was still. No one dared to breathe. The air was thick with tension and panic. 

Varian wasn’t sure what was going on, but he did know that the mean men holding him descended on him like vultures. When he’d raced down the dungeon steps to come face to face with the escaped criminals, he had been too scared to even speak. They had taken one look at him, and grinned.

“You must be the kid Rider loves so much,” Sideburns had said, and his brother stepped forward. He’d advanced on Varian until the child’s back collided with a wall, and then scooped him up. And now these men were grinning at Eugene with shark-tooth smiles.

Soft hiccups escaped his mouth. He wanted all of this to be over! He wanted the men to let him go, Rapunzel to hug him tight, and Eugene to read to him in bed. He just wanted this all to be a bad dream. 

It wasn’t a dream, but it was Eugene’s worst nightmare. He took in Varian so the child would never experience what he did growing up. He took him in so Varian would never have to resort to crime, never have the enemies Eugene did, never live in constant fear, constant flux. And while it was true Varian would never want for anything as a citizen of the castle, he now suffered because of Eugene’s past. The past he never wanted Varian to have to see or experience. 

He couldn’t even muster his mask. The anxiety rushed through his veins. That was _his kid_ in danger. 

Eugene’s hands slammed onto the cell bars. “Let him go. Now!” He barked. “Come on, guys, your beef is with me! You really gonna take it out on a kid? He has nothing to do with it!”

If anything, Patches gripped the boy tighter. Varian let out a whimper, kicking his feet in an attempt to free himself. But to him, it was like trying to topple a brick wall. 

Sideburns laughed. “Oh no, Rider, this has _everything_ to do with him. See, we were going to kill you, but that seems… too kind. This,” He waltzed over and gripped pudgy cheeks. “This seems a much more fitting punishment. All you can do is sit and watch as we make sure you never see your son ever again.” Ice filled Eugene’s veins. They wouldn’t…. Would they?

He couldn’t take those chances. “No!” Eugene screamed, banging his fists against the cell door. “Take me instead! Kill me! Do whatever you want to me, just please, let him go!”

Varian only struggled more at Eugene’s distress. Never see Eugene again…? No! That sounded horrible! He didn’t want to go anywhere with these scary men, he’d rather go back to his momma!

Meanwhile, Cassandra grit her teeth. Until she was free, there was nothing she could do to help. And even then, they had a hostage. One that Cass would prefer to keep unharmed. Where did Rapunzel even put the key? She took it from her dad, did she give it back?

As if her thoughts summoned him, the Captain of the Guard’s voice rang out. “The Stabbingtons have escaped!” He called, and a smattering of footsteps followed. Guards poured into the dimly lit hallway, only to falter at the scene. It must’ve been a real sight, the prisoners out of their cells and the citizens locked in.

Patches grabbed a halberd laying against the wall and held it up to the small child’s neck. “Nobody moves,” Sideburns warned. The guards, who held their crossbows ready to fire, all faltered. 

“Eugene!” Varian sobbed. “Eugene, please help!” The man let out a cry of despair, rattling the bars in a frantic attempt to get to the toddler. 

The Captain seemed to finally notice them in there. “Cassandra?”

“Dad!” She cried. 

“Quiet!” Sideburns roared. The halberd inched closer to Varian’s neck. It nicked him ever so slightly, and the child weeped. Tears dropped onto the silver of the weapon.

“If you know what’s good for the kid, I suggest you put your weapons down.” The large man said. Slowly but surely the guards lowered their weapons one by one. What were they supposed to do? Shoot a child? An actual child who had been adopted by the princess’s boyfriend?

Soft footsteps were the only sound. The Stabbingtons slowly backed up, inching away with Varian still in their grasp. They turned the corner, and just like that, Eugene had lost his child after only a few short weeks.

The captain rushed to move once the brothers were out of sight. He dug the keys out and with a _clink_ , unlocked the cell keeping Eugene and Cassandra. 

Like a shot from a canon, Eugene broke into a sprint, bolting after the men who stole his Varian. He used to wonder how the King and Queen felt, how awful the pain must’ve been when they lost Rapunzel. He now regrets ever wondering. It was an awful, all encompassing sadness that threatened to swallow him whole and leave him empty. He had been completely powerless to stop the Stabbingtons from kidnapping Varian in the first place. He’d fought with Cassandra, he’d sent Varian down to High Security to go retrieve a jack– Varian could’ve easily gone and got the guard, or hell, Rapunzel! He could’ve told Rapunzel that he saw they completed the game, please let them out! Instead, he hadn’t considered the dangers down below. And now his boy was suffering because of it.

Oh who was he kidding. He kept trying to say Varian was just his ward, his kid, dancing around the s word. But with the threat of never seeing him again, Eugene was no longer willing to deny it.

Varian was his son. 

And Varian was in danger. 

His eyes stung with unshed tears, lungs burning and legs pounding on the pavement. 

He heard the telltale sounds of someone catching up beside him. He glanced over, expecting it to be Rapunzel, but instead found it to be Cassandra. They skidded around another corner just in time to see the Stabbingtons enter a small tunnel. 

The whole time Varian cried and struggled. Patches had thrown Varian over his shoulder, and while the child kicked and hit, it was to no effect. He sobbed his little heart out as he was forced down into the tunnels. Eventually, the Stabbingtons had had enough. 

Sideburns grabbed his face. “Shut up or I’ll gag you.” 

“I don’t know what that means!” 

“If you’re quiet you won’t have to find out.”

The little boy screwed his eyes shut, desperately trying to quell his sobs. Deep breaths, in and out, just like Rapunzel showed him when he scraped his knee. 

“Varian!”

Varian’s head snapped up. Hope glistened in his young eyes. It was Eugene and Cassie! They raced towards him, trying to catch up to the Stabbingtons.

Patches scowled. He threw Varian to the ground, and the child hit the floor with a cry of pain. Dust billowed up around him, coating his pants. A sharp rock caught onto his arm, and Varian had to swallow down a fresh onslaught of tears. He didn’t want to get into more trouble. 

The ginger-haired man brought his full weight onto the wooden support pillar once, twice, three times, and it splintered. The tunnel shook, severely weakened without its support. Eugene and Cassandra sprinted the remaining feet, barely managing to dive towards the kidnappers and avoid the oncoming rockslide. Debris clouded the musky hallway, and when the dust settled, it was just them. 

No guards and no Rapunzel. They were on their own. 

...Unarmed.

Undeterred, Cassandra lowered into a fighting position, fists raised and ready to punch. She leaped forward, landing a solid punch onto Patches. He fell back and hissed in pain. The halberd clattered to the floor, and Varian scrambled on top of it. It was far too large for him to use, but he managed to get it upright.

Rising to his full height, Patches threw a punch at Cassandra. The woman was short enough to duck, sliding around his hulking form to avoid hit after hit. But she couldn’t take him down, not on her own. 

A quick glance over her shoulder saw Eugene had begun to fight with Sideburns. The ex thief snarled at his old ally, all charm and false pretenses gone. But for all of his determination, Sideburns managed to land a few hits, and it quickly became apparent that neither of them could defeat these large men at hand to hand. 

“Varian!” Cassandra called. “The halberd, give it to me!”

The child whimpered. “I-I’m not supposed to listen to you!” If he misbehaved, bad things happened! Momma always told him the destruction that followed them was his fault. If only he behaved!

Eugene grunted as he dodged a mean left hook. “Varian, I shouldn’t have told you that! I was just trying to upset Cassandra!” He kicked at Sideburns’s legs, but the man was a brick shithouse. “You don’t have to do everything I say, because half the time I don’t know if I’m making the right call!”

Another dodge. “Half?” Cassandra grunted.

Eugene rolled his eyes. “Ok, most of the time. Give her the halberd!” 

That was all it took. Varian dropped the halberd right into Cassandra’s path, and she grabbed it. The weapon twirled once, twice, and then the flat side whacked Patches, sending him sprawling. 

“Now that’s how you use a halberd,” Eugene called, and the handmaiden smirked. 

“Nice job, kid.” She said. Varian gave her a shaky smile. Now, to help Eugene…

Said man let out a cry of pain. Sideburns landed a hard hit on his face, and he was sent sprawling. 

“Oi, watch the merchandise,” He moaned. 

“You know, we were going to let you live, just without your kid,” The towering criminal growled, fire in his eyes. “But I think I’ve changed my mind.”

Varian stood in horror, watching as Cassandra tried to cross the battlefield to help, but she couldn’t stop the kick Eugene got to his face. He hit the wall with a _crack_.

The little child shook in terror. He’d been kidnapped, held at knifepoint, threatened, and now Eugene, his Eugene, was about to die. The terror had been steadily building, he’d only just managed to stop crying, but to think of a life without Eugene? 

Would he go back on the streets? Back to his momma? Would Rapunzel and Cassie blame him? If only he’d been smarter, if only he hadn’t gotten kidnapped, Eugene would still be there!

A stream of blood dripped down Eugene’s nose.

The terror went into overdrive.

Varian screamed. 

The earth began to rumble, pebbles jumping up and down from the floor. A deep groan came from the earth, and the tunnel around them began to crack. The small child’s hair began to float, unaffected by gravity, glowing brighter and brighter, until it shone like a star in the sky. 

From behind Varian, large obsidian rocks sprouted. They sped towards Sideburns, growing bigger and thicker, snaking towards the man. He only had enough time to look up in shock before the rocks sent him flying. He hit the rocks from the earlier cave-in and crumpled beside his brother with a groan. 

The earth stopped rumbling. The tunnel settled. Varian’s hair fell back down over his face. 

Eugene blinked in shock. One moment he was about to die, the next, large black rocks came in and finished the battle. He’d heard from Cassandra and Rapunzel about the rocks that grew back her hair, these must be the same ones.

But how did they get there…?

“Eugene!”

He barely had any time to think before a blur collided with his chest. Varian gripped onto his vest and wailed, burrowing his face as deep as it could go. 

“Hey, hey, it’s ok, you were super brave today,” Eugene whispered, wrapping his arms around the trembling child. “It’s over, you’re ok. We just gotta… get out of here…” 

Cassandra poked at the rocks. While they had saved the day, they now blocked their only escape. 

“Cass? Eugene? Varian?” Rapunzel’s voice floated down. They glanced up, and the princess was peering down from a small hole in the ceiling. Moonlight filtered through and settled on them like a spotlight. “Is everyone ok?” The princess asked as she let down her hair. As soon as they were all up, she wrapped the whole group in a bear hug. “No one’s hurt right? We’re all safe now?” Her eyes shone with unshed tears. 

Eugene stepped back, readjusting his grip on Varian. “Yea. We’re safe now.”

-

The walk back to the castle was quiet. The Captain took on rearresting the Stabbingtons, letting everyone head to their rooms to recoup from today’s insane events. 

“I’m so sorry, for everything,” Rapunzel moaned. “I shouldn’t have done that, I should’ve helped you talk it out, and then I let Varian out of my sight, and-”

Eugene wrapped one arm around his girlfriend. The other supported a dozing Varian. “Hey, hey, Blondie, it’s ok.” 

“Yea, we all made mistakes today,” Cassandra piped up. “...But Eugene started it.”

“I did not!”

“Did too!”

Rapunzel groaned, but smiles on all their faces gave away that none of it was serious. The rest of the trek back to the castle was devoted to filling Rapunzel in.

“The black rocks…?” She asked. “The ones that gave me back my hair?”

Cassandra nodded. She gazed off into the distance, deep in thought. “I wonder if they responded to your distress? Or maybe it was just a coincidence?” 

“Eh, who cares. They did a good job! Go team.” Eugene shrugged. “I say we worry about it another time. Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I am exhausted, so I’m gonna put this little guy to sleep and then turn in,” Eugene began, but stopped when Varian began to whimper. 

The toddler clutched onto Eugene like a lifeline, shaking his head violently. “Please, no, don’t leave me,” He whispered. “I don’ wanna be alone, please don’t leave me.” 

The last time he got that upset… the last time the black rocks appeared…

That had been the last straw for momma. She’d left him not a week later. 

Eugene glanced nervously and Rapunzel and Cassandra. As much as he wanted to help Varian, he was way out of his depth. Dealing with a trauma like this…

Cassandra thought for a second before speaking. “Hey, I have an idea. Rapunzel’s bed is pretty big, why don’t we all have a big sleepover? Would you like that?” She ran gentle fingers through Varian’s hair. The child melted into her touch.

“Yea, ok.”

The man breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks,” he murmured, and Cassandra gave him a smile back. She moved to brush some dirt off Varian’s shirt, and in the process, moved his shirt sleeve.

“Nooooo,” Varian moaned sleepily. He kicked his legs. “My shirt stays!”

The handmaiden rolled her eyes. “I don’t get it. That has to be uncomfortable. Why do you insist on rolling your sleeves up?”

Varian yawned, curling up in Eugene’s arms. He spoke like the answer was obvious. “‘Cuz that’s how Eugene wears ‘em. I wanna be like him.” With that, he finally fell asleep.

The kid sure was something else, it seemed.

But they could handle him if they all worked together. 

-

“They’re here?” Quirin breathed. “The rocks? In the castle?”

“The tunnels beneath the castle,” Frederick groaned, running his hand down his face. “If Ulla is telling the truth, then its source is somewhere here.”

“We will find it,” Quirin insisted. “And when we find it… we must destroy it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I PROMISE this is the last plot heavy chapter for a lil while. The next few are just gonna be fluffy oneshots with baby mischief. Because after this, we all need that.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian makes a friend! Too bad it's not human. Meanwhile, Rapunzel and Eugene have a mini crisis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I wanted this chapter done a few days ago but my cat is very sick atm. She has a vet appt in 7 hours, hopefully we'll get her back to normal! She's not dying just a nasty infection.  
> tbh I'm not majorly thrilled with this chapter but whatever it's cute it's harmless. Warning Varian is feral and eats a worm

The palace gardens sprawled out, carpeting the world with green. Small feet raced across bristles of grass, pale skin contrasting the dirt that was quickly sticking to his toes. Varian giggled at the sensation, marvelling in it. It was so different from the dirt lining Corona’s roads. He didn’t have to worry about dust kicked up by horses or sharp trash. 

The six months on the street left Varian more mature than his fellow kids, though Varian thought he was just born smart like that. He hopped around, happily examining everything he could, from the way the grass blades danced to a small ladybug crawling across a leaf. His eyes sparkled with a childlike wonder as he explored.

The ladybug flew around him, circling to land. Varian followed it in rapid circles. He spun around and around until he was too dizzy, and fell to the grass giggling. He seized the opportunity. Being closer to the ground meant new things to discover! He crawled along until he reached the flower bed. Small buck teeth stuck out of his grin, face flush with delight as a butterfly landed on the morning glories. But wait, what was that wiggling? Ooooh….

From atop the castle porch, his father sat with his girlfriend and family. “He’s getting more and more adventurous everyday. It’s…. Both great and terrible?” He ran a hand through slightly messy hair. His legs hadn’t ached this much since his thieving days. 

The king hummed in agreement, narrowing his eyes at where Varian played. He’d invited both of them to tea, but the smaller chair sat long abandoned. “Yes, he is certainly… spunky.”

Rapunzel snorted into her cup. Her mother elbowed her in the sides. 

“Don’t get me wrong,” Eugene continued, not noticing the women. “I adore him, I love him! But he drives me crazy sometimes. Like, the other day. He flipped out because I didn’t cut up his grapes. _Grapes!_ I say ok, I’ll cut your grapes in half. He flips out at that too.” It had certainly been a sight, Varian screaming like he’d been stabbed, wailing on the floor while Eugene sat there and let him cry it out. 

“Children have a hard time comparing emotions and memories,” Arianna placed a soothing hand on Eugene’s shoulder. “They think the simplest upset is the worst thing that’s ever happened to them.”

Eugene gave her a blank stare. “I _know_ the worst thing that happened to him.”

“Which one, the abandonment or the kidnapping?” Rapunzel muttered into her tea. Arianna elbowed her harder, and the princess coughed up some tea. 

“My point is,” Arianna paid no heed to her daughter slowly dying. “Varian is still very young, it’s going to get easier.”

“Eugene!”

The man in question turned to see Varian racing towards him. One hand tucked into his pocket, holding his treasure close. The other stretched out to grab his dad’s hand. “Eugene! I got you somethin’!”

The man in question placed a hand over his heart delicately. “For moi? Oh, kid, you shouldn’t have!” Varian dug his toes into the pavement with a blush. “But uh… what is it?” A flower, perhaps? If that was the case he might actually melt.

The child pulled his hand out of his pocket and placed a crumbling pile of dirt into his hand. And atop the dirt was… worms. 

So many worms. 

Like, did the kid dig up every worm he could find? 

“...Thanks….?” Eugene managed, trying not to drop the whole pile in disgust. He couldn’t break the kid’s heart like that! He trusted Eugene enough to share his interests! 

“I saw you were all having snacks, so I brought some!” Varian chirped. “See?” He grabbed one from the pile and before Eugene could scream, placed it in his mouth.

Frederick nearly gagged, while Rapunzel couldn’t hold in her laughter any longer. She laughed harder when she saw Eugene’s horror-stricken face. Her boyfriend’s eyes were bulging out of his sockets, one twitching slightly, mouth slack in pure shock and agony. 

Finally he snapped out of his trance, leaping forward to pry his mouth open. Instead of standing still and letting him, like a good boy, Varian shrieked and raced back into the gardens. The kid was _fast_ , too. He’d mastered evasion on the streets, so Eugene was really no challenge. Especially when there were trees to climb into and bushes to hide in! Choosing the latter, Varian ducked into a small brush. He covered his mouth. 

“Varian, come on! Worms aren’t for people, they’re for animals, like birds, and raccoons…!” 

Speaking of the latter, soft chittering filled Varian’s ears. He turned around and came face to face with a raccoon. 

He’d seen some before, and even joined a few in scavenging through city trash. But this one was tiny! Its fair fur was bristled and puffed up, the creature backed up into the bush’s branches. Varian scooted forward, and it skittered in fear.

“It’s ok, I’m hiding too!” Varian whispered through a mouth of worm. Wait! Eugene said raccoons eat worms, right? He spit it out. The poor creature wiggled weakly in his palm as he held it out. One sniff, two, and then the raccoon ate the treat. Its whiskers tickled the child’s palms, and it licked the hand when there was nothing left. Varian broke into giggles. “It tickles!” Slowly, like he saw older kids play with their pets, he reached out his other hand and ran it through soft fur. The animal nuzzled into the touch.

“I’m Varian,” He grinned toothily. “I’m four and a half! You’re a baby, like me, right?” The raccoon glanced up, its beady eyes staring deep into Varian’s. 

The child opened his mouth to speak more, only for large hands to yoink him out of the bush. 

Eugene stared down disapprovingly. “Young man, we have snacks right here! Why on earth do you need to eat worms!?” 

Varian didn’t seem guilty in the slightest. “It’s like spaghetti!” 

“Wha- I- It is definitely _not like spaghett_!” Eugene ran a frazzled hand through his hair. He glanced back at the table, silently motioning his eyes between Rapunzel and Varian in a clear plea for _help._ The princess shrugged. 

Well, he could explain to Varian why it was bad to eat worms later. One thing at a time. “Come on, Varian, let’s go get your teeth brushed.” At this Varian groaned. He’d already brushed his teeth today! Now he had to do it again? Reluctantly the small child let Eugene drag him back inside.

He glanced back at the bushes, where his furry friend poked its head out. “I’ll be back!” The child whispered.

-

Frederick stirred his tea, brow furrowing. “It gets easier, huh dear?”

The queen didn’t look up. “You’re just mad Varian didn’t draw you into his family portrait.” 

“He drew _Quirin_ but not _me-!”_

-

Varian ended up spending the rest of the day indoors, much to his chagrin. Part of him assumed it was punishment for trying to eat the worm (he kept telling Eugene he didn’t eat it, but Eugene didn’t believe him for a second), but in actuality, it was because an old friend of Eugene’s stopped by. Eugene had been helping Varian brush his teeth when Rapunzel poked her head in and let him know of their guest. The second Lance laid eyes on him, he wrapped the toddler into a crushing hug. “Flynn! I can’t believe I’m an uncle! And you didn’t tell me! Imagine my shock, I’m visiting Corona and I find out you stole a child!” 

Varian squirmed, alarmed at the sudden hug from a stranger. Wait… Flynn? As in, Flynn Rider? Flynn Eugene reads about every night before bed Rider? Varian opened his mouth to ask, when he was cut off. 

“Hang on, you _stole_ Varian?” Rapunzel’s brow furrowed. “You said you picked him up off the streets!” 

“I did!” Eugene exclaimed. “I just… picked him up right in front of his abusive mother.”

Cassandra raised an eyebrow, heavily amused. “Did she relinquish her parental rights?” 

“Well, no, but,” Eugene sputtered. 

Gripping her hair in distress, Rapunzel shrieked, “Eugene! _You kidnapped Varian!”_

Eugene flinched. “She kicked him!? What was I supposed to do?”

“ _Get the guards!_ ” 

The princess was near hysterical in fury. She laughed. “Ok, no one panic. We just broke the law and kidnapped a child, so technically we don’t even have full custody of him and if anyone found out Eugene would go to jail and Varian would go back to his biological parents!” She gasped for breath, before turning to her boyfriend with unblinking eyes.

Oh damn was he in major trouble. 

“Hey, kiddo,” Lance chimed in, readjusting so Varian was on his shoulders. “How about you and I go for a walk, I’ll tell you about the crazy stuff me and your dad got into!” With that, he promptly bolted out the room, Cassandra following shortly after. 

The door shut behind her, and Eugene was alone with his death staring him in the face. 

“Eugene, what on _Earth_ were you thinking?” She moaned, running a hand through long blonde strands. She paced back and forth. “You’ve only been pardoned for 6 months and then you go and kidnap a child! In front of his mother! You’re _so_ lucky she didn’t try to find him! Or press charges!”

“Because she abandoned him!” Eugene crossed his arms. “Blondie, I never lied. I found him on the streets, he said his mom left him. We ran into her by coincidence, and she _kicked him_ when he tried to hug her.” His voice shook at the memory. Even now, after Varian was in his new, loving family, thinking about her made him sick. 

“I get it, I technically kidnapped him,” He looked down at the floor. “But I don’t regret it for a second. And I’m not giving back. I’d be sending him to his death… or worse.” 

There’s quiet for a moment. And then Rapunzel sighs. Her furious facade fractures. 

“I don’t want to send him back, either.” She lets out a weak laugh. “I never saw myself becoming a mother so soon. But whatever he needs… I want to be there for him.” Her eyes hardened. “And I can’t do that if he’s not officially your son. If he’s never your son, he can’t become _our_ son someday.” Gently, she took his hands into her own. 

“I know,” Eugene whispered. He leaned down, resting his forehead on hers. “I’ll make it official, I promise.”

-

“You’re making it official!?” Eugene yelped.

The king raised a confused eyebrow. “That’s an odd way to put it, but sure. We’re holding a ball to welcome Varian to the castle.” 

Rapunzel looked like she had swallowed a whole lemon. “I don’t understand… why are we doing this?” 

“Because your father is mad Varian doesn’t like him,” Arianna piped up, not looking up from her book. The man in question’s eye twitched.

“Varian is Eugene’s son, and therefore he will be royalty when you two get married… and part of our family.” The last part was spoken harshly, more directed at his wife. Frederick paused to think. “He is legally your son, right? I know you found him on the streets, but did you ever find his parents?”

Eugene and Rapunzel shared a look. It was a silent argument, panic in both of their eyes. 

“Nope,” she said. “No parents!”

She ignored the horror on Eugene’s face. 

Frederick glanced back and forth between them, eyes critical. It was if all the air had been sucked from the room, the only sound came from the ticking of a clock.

Frederick brightened. “Well, alright!” He turned around, oblivious to the sighs of relief from both Rapunzel and Eugene. “He’ll need a bit of teaching, some basic manners, and ballroom clothes…” Rambling filled the room, ideas and plans and lessons.

“Are you sure about this?” Eugene whispered. 

“Yea!” Was all Rapunzel could muster. “We’re in this together.”

“...This is gonna go terribly.”

“Probably.”

-

The next week was one of the best and worst weeks of Varian’s life. 

Well, it probably wasn’t nearly as bad as his weeks on the street, but to a toddler, boring was just as bad as dangerous. And by god was it boring. He had to sit and listen while Cassie and Rapunzel taught him how to eat, how to dance, how to _stand_ – 

Since he was still very young, he didn’t need to learn anything particularly tricky, it was more about manners. Saying please and thank you, bowing, that kind of stuff. But to a feral child who stole to survive, he couldn’t care less about not slurping soup and introducing himself.

“Ok Varian, let’s try this again.” Rapunzel curtsied to the child. “My name is Rapunzel de Sonne.”

Varian bowed, back straight, just like Cassie told him. “I’m Varian Fitz…. Fith…. Fitzbert.” Cassandra snickered. 

Rising back up, Rapunzel sighed fondly. “Fitzherbert. Your name is Varian Fitzherbert.”

“Fizzybee.”

“Fitzherbert.”

“Fibucket.”

“Fitzherbert.”

“Fitzfuckbert!”

She turned white as a sheet at the last one.

The highlight of his days came around lunchtime. Cassie would catch up with Eugene and Rapunzel, discuss something or other that Varian wasn’t really interested in. He’d eat his sandwich, grab his apple, and then trek into the garden where his friend was waiting. 

The first day after the worm incident, he’d brought his apple to eat for himself. But the little raccoon had stolen it right from his hand. Varian was shocked! 

“I used to steal apples too!” He told the raccoon. “But Eugene told me it wasn’t nice to steal from people. And then Uncle Lance showed up, and apparently Eugene used to steal! Like me! And that’s why he likes me so much!” The animal chittered.

“Can you keep a secret?” Grey ears flicked in Varian’s direction. “I wanna be like Eugene when I grow up.”

The raccoon blinked. It didn’t seem to understand Varian, but that was ok! He liked having a friend. And it seemed his furry friend did too! He climbed up onto Varian’s shoulder, nuzzling into black hair. Varian giggled wildly. 

“That tickles!” He squeaked, and the raccoon purred. Tiny giggles slowly faded into the ether. A small head peeked over the bushes to see Cassandra happily enacting today’s lessons. Eugene’s knees buckled at the story, and little Varian sighed.

“I keep messing up,” He whispered. “I don’t wanna make Eugene sad… but this stuff is so… stupid! And boring!” He pouted. 

The raccoon purred louder. Vibrations rung in Varian’s ear, calming him. The child smiled once more. 

“You’re really soft, and nice, and cuddly,” He cooed. Carefully, his tiny hand patted the animal on the head, and he got a lick on the cheek for his efforts. “I wish I could take you with me! Then it wouldn’t be so boring.”

After the ball, he’ll introduce his friend to Eugene. They both loved him, they were bound to get along, right? 

Right!

-

“Oh, look at you!” Lance clasped his hands together, eyes lighting up. “You look so handsome in your suit!” 

Varian squirmed, uncomfortable in the suit. It had only been a few minutes and he was starting to feel hot in the getup. Its ruffles scratched at his neck, and the coat was tight around his torso. And the shoes pinched in all the wrong places, making it hurt to walk. He felt so stiff, so unnatural! A few tears budded in his eyes as he fidgeted.

“Where’s Eugene?” He mumbled. 

“Right here. Looking good, hairstripe!” Eugene poked his nose, prompting happy kicks. “You ready to show those stuffy nobles why you’re the best?”

“Yea!” Instantly, Varian forgot what he was so upset about. Eugene was here! Eugene made all his problems go away. He eagerly toddled into the big, outstretched arms, relishing the hug. They separated, but Eugene still gripped onto his son’s hand. The throne room opened with a flourish, revealing a massive crowd. Nobles of all sizes and creeds, from all over Corona and then some. They all stared at the little family, some with polite smiles, others with thinly veiled disgust. 

Ohhh boy. Varian squeezed Eugene’s hand a little tighter. 

“You got this, kid. Just remember what Cassandra taught you,” the man whispered.

Rapunzel stood from her throne. “Lords and ladies, I present the Fitzherbert family for the first time!” She shot the two of them an encouraging grin. The hall erupted into polite applause as they stepped into the room. 

Now that their introduction was over, it was time to mingle. The King had made sure to invite a few noble families, so Varian wasn’t the only kid by a long shot. Still, he clung to Eugene’s leg like a limpet, hiding when scary faces got too close. He let Eugene do all the talking, his cute face was charming enough. Some noble ladies would lean down to his level to say hi, and of course Varian would say hi back, but it was all too much! Outside of introductions, he had no idea what to say. Eugene seemed to know what to do like it was second nature, effortlessly exuding charisma. As long as Varian behaved, Eugene would do the talking, and the nobility would be on their side in no time.

Just another reason Varian wanted to be like Eugene.

“He’s so precious!” One woman gushed, reaching down to pinch his cheek. Varian winced but didn’t complain. 

“Hello, I’m Varian Fitz...fitzbert.” He mumbled. Oh no! He still couldn’t get his own last name right! He hid his face in Eugene’s pants. The woman didn’t seem to care though, in fact, she seemed to love it. 

“So polite and quiet, too! Not like my Shelby, that’s for sure.” She motioned for a boy to come to her side. No more than 9, his frizzy red hair was slicked back into a neat ponytail. “Shelby, this is Varian, he’s the princess’s stepson.”

“Ah, not yet, we’re just dating,” Eugene flushed. “But he’s just as much her son as he is mine.” 

Shelby rolled his eyes and waved to Varian, but the little boy didn’t wave back. He looked big and mean! When Varian was on his own, a bunch of older kids used to taunt him. They’d take his food, or push him into puddles, or throw things at him! Shelby looked like a kid who’d do the same. 

“Hey,” Eugene whispered. “Why don’t you go out to the garden? I think that’s where the other kids are playing.”

Garden? Varian could go see his friend! He nodded eagerly, slipping away from Eugene, but not before giving his leg one last hug. 

He didn’t notice Shelby silently following him. 

The gardens were completely different at night. During the day, sunshine filtered through the trees, bathing everything in a whimsical glow. Varian could happily get lost in that grove for hours. But once the sun went down, everything became quieter, more peaceful. The flowers all closed their buds and the bugs went to sleep. Tonight, the only life was the children playing around in the grass. 

Varian was the youngest of them all. He shuffled on the balcony, unsure of how to get down there without being seen. 

“Hey, everyone!” Varian whipped around to see who yelled, it was Shelby! “The little tyke came to play!” 

All eyes turned to him. Varian shrunk under their gazes. He didn’t want to hang with the big kids! He just wanted his raccoon friend!

Just as before, Varian bowed. “I’m Varian Fitzberhert.” 

One of the kids laughed at his butchering. “Hey, pipsqueak. I’m Tyrone. And my mom put me in charge.”

“Did not!” A girl piped up. “You’re in charge of your siblings, not all of us!”

“We’re all related, it counts!” 

“Does not!”

“Does too!” 

“You’re all related?” Varian butt in. Heads whipped around to stare at him and he regretted it. 

Tyrone smirked. “Yea, all nobility is part of the royal family, dummy. But you’re not part of the family. You’re just some dumb, poor kid.”

Varian stomped his foot in frustration. “No I’m not! Rapunzel’s a princess, and she’s gonna be my momma someday!”

Shelby laughed from behind him. “That doesn’t count! Where’s your real mom?”

“Um...”

The kids circled around him, growing closer. Their faces all showed malice, darker and teasing. Just like the ones from the street. “Your real mom. Where is she?” Shelby repeated.

A single tear swelled in Varian’s eye. “I dunno…”

“Exactly. Not Corona. Cuz she’s some random peasant.” The boy got up in Varian’s face. “And so are you. Just a dirty street kid who the princess took pity on. Well don’t get used to it.” With that, he pushed Varian down. With a cry, he tumbled into the dirt. His hair brushed a familiar bush, leaves getting stuck in his stripe. “You’ll be back on the streets when she gets bored.”

No… they wouldn’t do that, would they?

The thought alone was scary enough. That tear fell. Then another. Varian hiccupped, sad and alone. 

The bush behind him rustled, and a familiar tongue licked the tears away from his cheek. 

His raccoon friend burst from the bush, launching itself at Shelby with a screech. The kid flailed around, crying for Tyrone and the others to help, but they scattered. The wild animal jumped off of Shelby and onto the ground, hissing. Not letting anyone dare get close to Varian. 

“What is that thing!?” Tyrone shrieked. “Get it out of here!”

Varian tilted his head. Had none of them ever seen a raccoon before? “He’s just my friend!” 

The kids didn’t seem to take that as a good thing. Instead, they all bolted up the steps of the balcony, back inside. He could even hear one of them crying for their mom. 

The toddler glanced at his friend, confused. What on Earth was that all about? The raccoon didn’t seem to care, purring and nuzzling his friend.

-

“I gotta admit, this party has been a pretty big success,” Cassandra muttered. She, Rapunzel, Eugene, and Lance were hanging out by one of the bannisters, taking a break from socializing. “I keep hearing everyone talk about how cute Varian is.”

“I know from experience, rich folk are willing to overlook your past if you give them something nice to look at,” Lance joked, elbowing Eugene. The man rolled his eyes but smiled. Neither of them were wrong. 

“Speaking of Varian, where did he go?” Rapunzel asked.

Eugene pointed to the patio door. “He went to play with the other kids.”

As soon as those words were spoken, the balcony doors burst open, sending a flood of kids inside. They all scrambled to their respective parents, babbling about a creature, dirt, gross, tell the king to make it go away!

“What on Earth…?” Eugene muttered. “Where’s Varian?”

He poked his head out the still open door, and gasped in horror.

Varian sat on the grass, covered head to toe in dirt, laughing and petting a raccoon. An honest to god raccoon!

“Varian!” He yelled. “The heck are you doing?” 

Varian glanced up and grinned. “Hi Eugene!” Standing up, he toddled over to his family, the raccoon following right behind. Eugene’s yelling prompted another noble to peek outside as well, and gasped.

Varian came up to the door, staring at both Eugene and the noble. He bowed perfectly. “Hi, I’m Varian Fitzherbert, and this is my friend, Ruddiger!” 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian spends his first Christmas with his family.   
> There is no actual plot it's just fluff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of an art trade for the lovely Finnoky once again! Finn is my partner in crime on this au so major shout out to him <3 Also a massive shoutout to the Scar Varian discord, who's support has cured my depression. And all of you! Seriously, the love for this fic is insane I don't know how to handle it lol.   
> Yes we are aware it is Halloween season but a) the timeline dictates Christmas and b) JUST LET ME HAVE MY CHRISTMAS SEROTONIN

The castle was abuzz with joy. The maids flitted around the halls, some even humming as they strung up lights and garlands. The frosted windows shone light through their wreaths, basking everything in a wintery-white glow. Even Old Lady Crowley seemed less angry than normal, barking out orders at only half volume. 

Spinning around, Rapunzel hums an old Christmas song. She’s always loved this time of year! Christmas was watching snow, and cuddling up by the fire with chocolate, and cooking gingerbread…! There was so much to be excited about! Even if she never had an official Christmas with her family yet, her steps were light as a feather, confident in this year’s success. Her previous Christmases had been quiet, just her and sometimes Gothel. Now, she had a mother, a father, a boyfriend, and his son! To think, exactly one year ago she never would have thought this could be possible.

The princess twirled to a stop in the throne room. The place was decked to the nines, ribbons and garland and all sorts of red decorated every inch. And in the corner sat a perfect pine, already decorated head to toe. The candles shone down on a confused, pudgy face.

Varian tugged at one of the ornaments. Not hard enough for it to fall, but enough for it to jingle.

Oh, that’s right! She’s not the only one celebrating a first Christmas with family!

The little boy fiddled with the pine needles, marvelling at the bristles and poking soft fingers into needles. He stuck his tongue out and stood on his tiptoes, reaching for a candy cane tied to a higher branch. If only he was a little taller…!

Strong, warm hands wrapped around his stomach and lifted him skyward. 

“Need a hand?” 

Varian looked up at the princess and beamed. “Hi Punzel!”

“Hello, Varian. Did you want the candy cane?”

Varian blinked, confused. “No, I wanted the red hook.” He grabbed the candy cane off the tree and held up his prize. “See?” 

“That’s a candy cane, but it’s just for decoration. If you want actual candy canes, you can head down to the kitchens.” the princess gently took the decor from his hands. 

He frowned, trying to commit the term to memory. “What’s it for?”

“The candy canes?”

“No, the tree!” He yelled right into her ear. 

“Woah, inside voice.” Varian zipped his lip. “It’s for Christmas.”

“Ooooh. What’s that?” he asked.

Rapunzel’s smile fell off her face near instantly. How do you explain a holiday to a toddler…?

“Well, um,” she started. “It’s a day where we all get together and celebrate being a family. We exchange gifts under the tree, and eat snacks, and sing songs… there’s a lot of stuff to do! It’s very fun, you’ll like it a lot, I promise.” 

Thankfully, that seemed to satisfy him. “Celebrate family… like momma?”

“More like you, and me, and Eugene,” Well, and Cass and Lance and her parents, but no overwhelming the baby. Little at a time. 

Baby blue eyes glanced down at the floor. “But… momma is family.” 

There was no denying the wasps in her heart, stinging at the mention of Varian’s mother. How they burrowed deep, whispering how the boy saw  _ Eugene _ as his father, but not  _ Rapunzel _ as his mother. It was selfish, she knew it. Varian was much closer to Eugene, he was practically the man’s shadow. But as Eugene’s girlfriend (and hopefully future wife), there was no denying the wish for Varian to see her in a similar light.

Varian still saw that woman as family? That’s ok, he still needed time. Or maybe he’d always see her as family. That was ok too. But hopefully, they could assure Varian that his real family, his  _ loving _ family, was there for him this Christmas. 

“Varian,” she whispered, gently lifting his chin to face him. “Family loves you, protects you. It’s ok if you still love your momma, but you weren’t safe with her. That’s why you have us now! We’re your family too, and we’ll celebrate Christmas with you, ok?” 

Varian nodded weakly, wrapping short arms around her waist. Outstretched arms squeezed him tight. Then, he broke off, skittering out of the throne room and likely towards the kitchen for those treats.

Rapunzel sighed as she watched him go. He was a smart little thing, learning faster than anyone could teach. On more than one occasion she spotted the precocious kid trying to heave a too heavy book around the library. One thing he was particularly fond of were the sciences. From Astronomy to Zoology, Varian ate it all up, greedily grabbing any book that even looked like it was informational. He was also a big fan of the Flynn Rider series, but that may be more because Eugene was so eager to share it with him. Ever since Lance told him Eugene used to be Flynn Rider, Varian assumed he’d meant the book Flynn, and his love for his dad became near fervent in nature. 

But while Varian adored learning about the world around him, there were certain things he struggled to pick up. Social cues were a big one. He was dreadfully shy around strangers, and a little hellion to those he knew. On one memorable occasion, Varian had insisted on dressing himself, resulting in a day of backwards shirts and missing pants. Anytime Eugene tried to fix it, he’d screamed like the man was stabbing him. 

Poor Eugene had needed a drink after that. 

The point is, Varian loved to learn, but he still struggled with sociability, not unlike Rapunzel when she first came home. It sounded like he grew up in the same way, isolated from other people, relying only on a controlling mother. Thankfully, Varian was saved at a much younger age. Rapunzel could only pray that meant he’d flourish now.

-

Varian struggled to understand the world around him sometimes. 

There were some things he understood perfectly well, like how Ruddiger was his friend. There were some things he knew were true but didn’t really get why, like how his family hated his momma. And there were some things he was completely lost on, which in this case, was Christmas. 

Everyone around him was so cheery, so lively, even more so than usual. Whenever he asked why, he got the same answer: It’s almost Christmas! Christmas is tomorrow! But when he asked  _ what _ Christmas was, what Rapunzel meant by singing and eating and gifts, everyone had a different answer! How was he supposed to figure it out if everyone had a different idea of what Christmas was? 

Everyone was busy preparing for… something. Varian wasn’t sure what. A party, maybe? So soon after the last one? That party sucked, but at least he got to introduce Ruddiger to everyone.

After that debacle, Eugene hadn’t been so keen on letting Varian keep the baby raccoon. The boy wasn’t even 5 yet, how was he supposed to care for his own pet? Rapunzel mentioned she’d been about his age when she met Pascal, but apparently a chameleon and raccoon are two very different things. Bummer.

Eventually, they settled on a compromise: Ruddiger was an outdoor animal who belonged outdoors, but during the winter and night he was allowed to be inside. And once Varian got older, he might be allowed to keep Ruddiger full time! 

Since it was snowing today, Ruddiger got to happily trail the child, keeping close to his feet as they traversed the castle. He said hi to the maids and guards as he walked by, but right now, Varian was trying to find his family. He technically wasn’t allowed to wander the castle alone, but King Frederick was really the only stickler about that rule. Varian had survived 6 months on the street, he could survive the short walk to and fro. 

Just as he passed the kitchens, a sweet smell tickled his nose, followed by a deep, familiar voice singing. His pet noticed it too, already waddling into the kitchen. Varian followed, and sure, enough, Eugene’s best friend was there.

“Hi Lance!” Varian squeaked. He latched onto the burly man’s legs. 

Lance leaned down from his place by the stove. He’d just finished taking the gingerbread out of the oven, the golden brown sizzling on the sheet. Carefully, so as not to drop the sheet on the child, Lance set the cookies down with one hand and ruffled black hair with another. 

“Hey there, kiddo! I thought I told you to call me Uncle Lance,” he grinned at how Varian squirmed under his palm.

Varian giggled. “Eugene said you’re not really my uncle.” Those giggles doubled at Lance’s mock offended face. 

“After everything we’ve been through, after all I’ve done for him, and he won’t call me a brother!” He gripped his chest, and his knees sunk to the floor. “It hurts… my heart…” with an overdramatic wail, Lance fell back and squished Varian to the floor. His weight wasn’t entirely on this child, he didn’t want to crush him, but it was enough to send Varian sprawling. 

Honestly, Varian didn’t get why Eugene was so against him calling Lance his uncle. He didn’t even know what an Uncle was! Shrieking laughter emanated from the toddler. “Lance!! Get off!” He said.

“Sorry, can’t, Lance is dead.”

“Nooooo!”

“Yesssss, the only cure,” the thief sighed, “Is for a brave, smart kid to call him… uncle…”

“Uncle Lance!” Varian shrieked. “Uncle Lance get off!” Almost instantly he sat upright, freeing his prisoner. 

“I live!” He cried, scooping Varian up and standing. “Thank you, sweet child!” He smushed their cheeks together in joy, only letting go when he had to bat Ruddiger away from his creation. 

“No bud! Gingerbread is bad for raccoons… probably,” 

Varian hadn’t heard that word before. “Gingerbread?” It smelled so good, surely Lance wouldn’t mind if he stole one, right? The guy adored him.

“Ah-ah!” Lance spun away from the stove, cookies now out of reach. He ignored the whines. “Gingerbread cookies can only be eaten if they’re decorated.” Setting Varian on a nearby counter, the man grabbed a few icing pipettes and candy pieces. “Gingerbread men need gingerbread clothes!” 

The next hour was filled with messy cookies and sprawling icing. White sugar covered nearly every surface, as Varian couldn’t figure out the right pressure to use a pipette. Eventually he gave up, letting Lance do the drawing while he added buttons and eyes in the form of candies. Every so often, Varian would hand a small treat to Ruddiger, enjoying fuzzy whiskers that tickled his hand. It was a comfortable silence, both of them invested in their individual activity. By the time Lance finally spoke again, the sun had tracked across the room and shone through the window. 

“So,” he said, tongue sticking out as he drew a face onto his cookie. “Why Eugene?” His companion stuck his head up, confused. He licked the sugar off his fingers. “What about him made you want to stay with him?”

Varian glanced down, deep in thought. “He’s nice,” he started. “He gives me lots of hugs, and makes me laugh.”

“Yea? What else?”

“Eugene is… super cool! He’s pretty, and he let me keep Ruddiger, and he loves me…” his small voice trailed off. The heat from sunlight warmed his bones, layering him in laziness. A yawn escaped him. 

He was just about to doze off, mind still trying to think of compliments, when soft knocking shook him awake. Cassandra nodded at him, bundled up in her winter coat. 

“It’s high time someone got fresh air,” She said in her monotone voice, so Varian slid off the counter to join her. He waved to Lance on the way out, and off they went. 

No sooner than they left, Rapunzel peeked her head in. “Hey Lance! I have an idea…”

-

Ruddiger zoomed ahead, happily digging up snow and dirt to catch a meal. The winter sun was bright yet also weak, sparkling off snow mounds. Varian’s small boots kicked up powder as he walked, each step more exaggerated than need be. He gripped Cassandra’s hand tightly. Out of everyone Varian frequently interacted with, she scared him the most… except maybe for the King. But he trusted her not to let him get hurt, not after saving him from the Stabbingtons. 

Sure enough, she whispered “Careful, it’s slippery.” And lifted him up and over the patch of ice with just her hands. 

“Wow, you’re really strong,” She raised her eyebrow at him. 

“I have to be, it’s my job to keep Rapunzel safe.”

Just Rapunzel? Not him, not Eugene? What about the king? Didn’t they need protecting? Thankfully, Cassandra saw his confused face and smiled faintly. “And you, someone’s gotta clean up after you.”

“Eugene said it’s rude to leave things for the maids to clean up.” 

A look akin to shock overtook her face. She stopped walking, temporarily startled, forcing Varian to stop with her. “He said that?” A nod. “Huh. Guess he’s not a terrible father after all.”

That caught the child’s attention. Rage simmered in his gut, bubbling and twisting his insides around. He glared up at her with a look he hoped was intimidating, but judging by her veiled laughter, he’d failed. A booted foot stomped the snow, and by his side small black spikes sprouted. It wasn’t noticeable, only as tall as his shoelaces, but it was there regardless. Just as fast as it appeared, the rage fell down his body and leaked out into the earth.

“Don’t call Eugene bad,” Varian pouted, cheeks puffing up and lip jutting out. “He’s the best!”

“Oh yea? Why’s that?” Cassandra teased, resuming their walk. 

“He’s a reallllllly good reader. Like,  _ really  _ good. And he’s smart,” That got a laugh. “And he saved me!” 

“So did I,” she reminded him, but that just got her frustrated boot shuffles. At last the handmaiden took pity on him. “Ok, ok. I’m sorry I called Eugene a bad dad. He loves you very much, and you love him.” He preened. 

He went to speak, but soft crunches interrupted his train of thought. From around the bend, two familiar and burly men step into view. 

“...no word from either of them, but Hector never answers my letters anyway-” Quirin was speaking, with Frederick hanging onto his every word. Their faces were both solemn, stoic and businesslike. Whatever they were talking about, it was likely serious. But the seriousness evaporates when Quirin catches sight of the young child. “Hello there!” Frederick’s face remains impassive, but he seems to let the subject drop. At least for now. 

Something about Quirin just screams welcoming to Varian. It’s strange. His time on the streets as well as his encounter with the Stabbingtons should have made Varian terrified of men like him, but Quirin’s autumn scent and warm smile relaxed Varian. He grinned his toothy smile and waved. 

“Your majesty,” Cassandra bowed. The King nodded, and she stood back up. He gave Varian a nod as well, but he had no idea to react. Bow? Smile? Hide? All of those options sounded like a bad idea, so he just stood still for now. 

“Hello, Cassandra, Varian.” The latter name was said with a hint of apprehension. “Enjoying the weather?”

“Yes sir,” The lady-in-waiting responded, and she gently nudged Varian. He nodded frantically, so fast his head might as well have flown off. Quirin seemed amused, at least. 

“Don’t stay out too long, we don’t want this young man to catch a cold,” Quirin ruffled Varian’s hair, and the child blushed. 

“We won’t, sir.” Cassandra bowed to him as well. Satisfied, they moved on, leaving Varian and Cassandra to finish their walk around the castle ground. “Cassie? Who is Quirin?” 

She seemed surprised by the question. “Who is he? I think he’s an advisor, or something.”

“A what?”

“He helps the king.”

Varian’s mouth dropped open in an “o” shape. Who knew Kings needed help? Not him, that’s for sure! 

“Come on, let’s go inside, it’s getting cold.” She led him away, until Varian couldn’t see either man when he turned around. 

“As I was saying, Adira is hard to track down, but-” Quirin’s words halted as he stumbled over something. “What the…” A small cluster of black rocks, innocent and unflinching. The men shared a nervous glance. 

When Cassandra dropped Varian off inside, she watched as Varian toddled off to find Eugene, turned around, and came face to face with a Rapunzel grinning like a maniac. 

The princess covered her friend’s mouth before she could scream. “Come on! I need your help. We only have a few more hours!” Without any explanation, Cass found herself being dragged off to god knows where. 

-

Waking up on the early side was not new to Varian. Ever since he’d come to the castle, Eugene would drag him out of bed no later than 9:30 am. And he’d learned to adapt, even if Varian preferred to get up when the sun’s rays were directly overhead. But 7 was  _ really _ pushing it. 

“Noooo!” He whined, clutching his sheets like a lifeline. “I don’t wanna get up!” 

Eugene grunted from where he was holding his legs. For a 4 year old Varian had a hell of a grip. “Come on, kid, you can go back to sleep when we’re done if you want! Don’t have to change out of your pjs either. But you gotta get up now or you’re gonna miss your surprise.” 

“Nooooo!” Varian wailed, burying his head into the duvet. 

“Yesssss.” 

With one final tug, Eugene managed to dislodge his child from his bed, sending them both sprawling on the floor. They laid there for a moment. Eugene questioned his life choices as Ruddiger rounded the bed and licked his face. 

He carried Varian down the corridor to the throne room. At this early hour, the only people about were night shift guards preparing to turn in. A strange quiet filled the castle, a sense of peace lingered. It would be a nice experience if Varian wasn’t bone-tired. Honestly who decided that 7 am was a normal time to get up? It was understandable during the summer, but not at Christmas!

Grand doors swung upon, revealing the same setup as yesterday, only several people sat under the tree. Familiar blonde hair swung around to reveal Rapunzel’s exuberant face. By her side stood her family plus Lance and Cass, all looking tired but content. Presents sat scattered, surrounded by pine needles that had fallen. 

“Merry Christmas!” She cried as she stood up and ran over. Both boys found themselves in a trademark bear hug. “It’s our first Christmas as a family, how exciting!” 

“Sunshine, you’re squishing meeee!” Eugene wheezed, face turning red. The princess paid him no heed, leading him (and by extension, Varian) over to the pile. Several gifts with multiple names in fun colors and patterns awaited them. It was at this time Varian realized he knew how to read most things, but his name was not one of them. Thankfully, Rapunzel was eager to hand out everyone’s gifts. Slowly Varian’s pile grew larger and larger.

Cassandra winced. “I think you went a little overboard, Raps,” 

“Nonsense! What makes you say that?” Cassandra pointed to where Varian sat by a pile larger than himself. He leaned against Eugene, eyes drooping. 

The man rustled his shoulder. “Wake up, kiddo, open your presents.”

“My what?”

“All those boxes, they’re for you! They have fun stuff inside them.”

“Like what?”

The gathering broke into chuckles. “Why don’t you find out?” asked Arianna. 

Curious eyes grabbed the largest box and fingers ran across its paper. Happy snowmen decorated the outside, and he was loathe to destroy it. But Rapunzel gave him a thumbs up, and that was all the invitation needed. With a war cry, Varian ripped off smiling snowmen with claw and fang. Even Ruddiger joined in on the mayhem, happily shaking his head as he held a piece of wrapping paper. The box gave way to…. Another box? But this one was on wheels.

A cart! A painted cart! It was light blue, just like his hair, and painted on the side was a name. Varian ran his fingers over it in confusion. 

“Ruddiger,” Eugene whispered. “It says Ruddiger. So he can stay with you.” Varian’s eyes lit up in understanding. Without any pomp, he scooped up the raccoon and plopped him straight into the cart, much to Ruddiger’s confusion. Then, like a shot out of a canon, they were off. Varian screeched with delight as he zoomed around the throne room, wheels clacking against the marble floor as Ruddiger chittered in similar joy. 

“So, I think he likes it!” Rapunzel chimed. 

“He better,” Cassandra muttered. She was not a fan of staying up till midnight to help Rapunzel wrap her last-minute Christmas gifts. Lance got to do the easy part, too. All he had to do was sign! Meanwhile Cassandra nearly broke her nail for that one gift. 

“Varian, you can play with that some more after the rest of your gifts! Come say thank you!” Eugene called. The child skidded to a stop, happily launching himself at Rapunzel for a hug. 

“Thank you Punzel! Love you!” He pressed a wet kiss to her cheek. It should’ve been gross, but to her, it was perfect.

Eugene smiled from his seat on the floor. It was pretty damn perfect to him too. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple of notes!   
> First off, again, massive thanks to all of you for your support. If you want more baby Varian content dm me on tumblr! The Scar Varian server is where we brainstorm baby ideas like, daily. And it's a riot.   
> If you have any ideas you wanna see for this AU send me an ask on tumblr! I'm collecting ideas for future chapters :D  
> Also the next chapter is gonna be a world of pain. Brace yourselves.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian may seem like quite the happy child, but just because he's in a better home doesn't mean he's forgotten where he came from.
> 
> Warning: Child Abuse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All aboard the traumatized baby train! Choo choo!   
> Warning, there is some explicit child abuse in here. If you don't want to see the worst of Ulla's abuse I would skip the italicized flashbacks. 
> 
> Sorry this took so long, I couldn't decide how I wanted this chapter to play out. Then I remembered, "Oh hey, Lance isn't supposed to be here, is he?" And I had to patch that LMAOOOOO  
> A big thanks to the Varian Angst, Scar Varian, and Team Awesome discords for helping me with this!

It started with a simple question. 

As Christmas bled into the New Year, and the days grew warmer and longer (Corona truly was the sun kingdom), Eugene pulled Lance aside and asked, “Ok, Lance, why are you here? What do you want?”

“W-ha, what? I don’t  _ want _ anything! Come on, Flynn,”

“Eugene!”

Lance rolled his eyes. He’d been kind enough to call him Eugene around Varian, so as not to confuse the child, but otherwise he refused to call him that silly name. “Eugene,” he emphasized. “There’s nothing that I want! I’m perfectly happy to be here, since your girlfriend was so very kind in letting me stay for the holidays, and I just wanted to see how you were doing, and spend time with my nephew…” the list of excuses kept growing but Eugene didn’t buy it for a second. He stared at his friend, unimpressed, until he dropped the act. “Ok I need your help.” 

That night had been full of hijinks, stealing, getting panned, stealing back, and more hijinks. By the time Varian woke up the next morning, Lance had left the castle, Arianna had her ring back, and Eugene was  _ exhausted.  _ So exhausted, in fact, he assumed his headache was a result of it. Turns out he was wrong. 

“You definitely seem to be coming down with something,” the nurse murmured. Rapunzel and Varian had dragged him down there the second he gripped his head in pain. “You said you were up all night?”

Eugene rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “It’s… been a crazy week,” he admitted. 

The nurse tutted, sighing fondly. “Spend the rest of the day in bed, and don’t let anyone in. While I doubt it, it could be infectious, and we don’t want an outbreak in the castle.” The adults devolved into conversations about medicines and soup and other adulty things, oblivious to Varian’s growing panic. Finally, he cried out, “No Eugene for a whole day!?” The noise sent shockwaves through Eugene’s skull, clashing against his brain hard enough to make him visibly wince. 

“Inside voice, kid,” Eugene moaned, and his kid at least looked apologetic. “It’s just for the day, I’ll see you tomorrow.” That didn’t soothe the child’s fears, if anything, it made him more upset. Crocodile tears bubbled in baby blue eyes and the whimpering Varian threw himself at Eugene, grabbing onto his shirt. 

“Don’t leave me!” He wailed, once again worsening the headache. Eugene sighed, and wrapped his arms around him. With quiet shushing and a few rocks back and forth, he managed to get Varian at least calmer. 

“Hey, hey, it’s not like you spend every second with me, what’s got you so worked up?” 

Varian whined, shaking his head. He didn’t want to tell Eugene, or Rapunzel, or anyone really. They always get so sad when he talks about it. 

Or rather, her. 

“Maybe he’s coming down with something too?” Rapunzel whispered to the nurse, who smiled and shook her head. 

“I think he’s just a little cranky.”

“Varian, bud,” Eugene raised his voice, and the sad boy lifted his head up. “Why don’t you go take a walk with Ruddiger, hm? Go get your cart. I’ll come get you in the morning.”

Varian didn’t want to leave his dad, not for a whole day, but he listened anyway. If he didn’t, Eugene could get sicker! And he loved Eugene, he didn’t want Eugene to be sick for any longer! So, with some reluctance, Varian detached himself for Eugene and off he went. 

“He’s such a sweet thing, how do you do it?” The nurse sighed fondly. “My kids back then were a nightmare and a half.” 

Eugene nodded sagely. “It’s all about boundaries. Kids need discipline and structure.”

Rapid footsteps pounded against the floor, and Varian came tumbling back in. “Wait! One more hug!” He cried, launching himself back into Eugene’s arms, who gladly nuzzled into his son’s unruly hair. He blew a wet kiss onto Varian’s cheek while he was at it. 

“Right, discipline,” Rapunzel muttered under her breath. 

-

A quick stop to Varian’s room and then the garden netted him a Ruddiger in a cart. The raccoon sat atop a mountain of pillows with his arms outstretched, ready to nab anything he saw fit. Normally, they’d be racing through the halls, screeching with delight. Varian would target the heels of passersby, glancing the wheels of his death machine at people’s feet. In particular, his favorite target was Nigel. The man had such a funny reaction! Sure, it usually ended in Varian being forced to give an apology, but the hidden snickers of everyone around always made up for it. 

Nigel usually tries to hide from him now. 

But Varian wasn’t really in the mood to chase him down, nor target anyone. Instead, for once, Varian decided to wander around his home. He’d been just about everywhere and explored everything, but it still all felt so… foreign. The old paintings glared down at him, ancient kings and queens who knew this wasn’t where he belonged. 

He kept waiting for the ball to drop, for his mom to scoop him up and for them to move on to the next village. 

He wandered around the corner, passing by the King’s study, when he heard his name whispered through the half opened door. Well, it was either his name or someone named Fairian, and he didn’t know anyone like that. Curiosity won out, and the small child peeked inside.

Frederick sat at his desk, sighing down at a letter. Arianna stood by his side, rubbing his back in sympathy. 

“The nobles aren’t thrilled about Varian, still,” the King complained. “And… I don’t blame them.”

“Is this about the party?”

“No, this is about the line of succession. If Rapunzel and Eugene get married, Varian is technically in line behind her. And he’s not of royal blood. It’d be one thing if Rapunzel adopted him, but he’s Eugene’s son. She’d be his stepmother.”

Arianna raised a brow. “Why are we worried about this now? Can’t Rapunzel and Eugene have a biological child? I’m sure Varian would love to be a big brother.”

Varian had no idea what the conversation was about, or what any of these words meant. He fidgeted at the door, debating whether or not to leave.

Frederick said nothing, staring harder at the letter in front of him. 

The queen’s eyes narrowed. “Is this still about how he doesn’t like you?” Frederick slammed his head onto the desk, and let out a yell of frustration. As if the door was on fire, Varian jumped back at the noise. However, he slowly crept back to the door. 

“Ah, ok, so it is.” She patted his back.

Sighing, Fred stood up. His shadow loomed over the entire room, landing in the doorway where a trembling child watched on. “No, it’s not that. The rocks.” At the queen’s silence he continued, “The infernal black rocks. They’re here, in the capital. Searching for Rapunzel. I just know it.”

“Quirin said they come from the moonstone.”

“Which means it’s here on the island somewhere.” The royal eyes hardened into steel. “I want more nightly patrols. The moonstone must be found, and it must be either destroyed, or taken back to the Dark Kingdom. Do not tell a soul, not even Rapunzel. No one can know.”

Baby blue eyes glanced downward in horror at the last part. 

-

_ When Varian was 3, they moved for the 10th time.  _

_ For this village, momma demanded he keep his head down. He never left the house unless she let him, and that was a rare enough occurrence. So rare that when they went to the market, people were shocked Ulla had a son.  _

_ But sooner or later, they were found. They always were.  _

_ Ulla scrambled around the house, throwing what meager possessions they had into a case. In contrast, Varian occupied himself by happily playing with an alchemy textbook. He was finally starting to read, and while he couldn’t make out most of the words, simple ones like ‘the’ and ‘force’ delighted him. His momma’s normally pristine bun was a wreck, with hairs flying in every which way as she raced around the house.  _

_ “Ugh, not again!” She moaned. “I swear, Varian, you’re going to get us killed one day! Do you want your mother to die a violent and horrible death, Varian? Do you want for us both to be torn to pieces or burned at a stake? Do you!?” _

_ “No momma,” the toddler whimpered. He barely understood what any of those words meant, let alone the concept of death. All he knew was that his momma was mad and it was all his fault.  _

_ Ulla stuffed a few clothes into the case and slammed it shut. “I swear, I have half a mind to leave you behind!”  _

_ Varian’s eyes welled up with tears and he blubbered, “No, momma! I sowwy!” He stood up on the bed, reaching his arms out for comfort. She ignored him. Instead, she peeked out the window.  _

_ A large, burly fist busted through the glass. Ulla managed to dodge out of the way in time, but couldn’t stop the scream Varian let out. He burst into hiccupping sobs, and a large black rock spiked up through the ground, nearly severing the intruding hand.  _

_ “Witch!” The man in the window screeched. Spittle flew from his mouth. “Get out here so we can kill the lot of you! In the name of the King, you’re all under arrest!”  _

_ Rolling her eyes, Ulla scooped up her son. Honestly, the only reason Varian was still alive was because she had hope. Hope that all of this would be worth it, hope that she could either get the stone out of him, or she could mold him into her weapon. So far, both have proven to be failures. Case in point. He seemed to only be able to use his power when upset or angry. She couldn’t rely on emotion like that. It’s why she didn’t have any feelings. Control, knowledge above all else. That was how she worked. _

_ Which was why the baby really screwed it all up.  _

_ “Would you shut up!” She hissed. After grabbing their belongings, she flung open the back door and made a run for it. “You know, I could really use a rock or two right now, Varian. Impale our attackers, scare them off? Anything?” The child only whimpered. “Useless.” An arrow whizzed past her ear. Groaning, Ulla dropped a case, reached into her pocket, and threw an alchemy bomb in the general direction of the arrow. She didn’t turn to see if she hit her target, the screams were enough. Varian, who was perched on her shoulder and facing back, winced. He’d seen her explosions before, they never got easier. _

_ “I swear to god, Varian, if you run me out of one more town, so help me, I’m leaving you behind,” she growled. But Varian knew she wouldn’t. She said that about the last 4 towns.  _

-

If he was spotted, he’d be in major trouble. It was bad enough he hadn’t told Eugene about the rocks, he was just… it just… hard. His momma hated him and she knew, and Eugene loved him and he didn’t. What if he told Eugene, and he turned him over to the King?

He wanted Eugene! He wanted a hug, a promise that Fred would never hurt him! But alas. Instead, Varian scampered down the hallway. His tiny legs moved as fast as they could carry him. From his cart, Ruddiger chittered anxiously, unsure about the destination or if it was a good idea. Varian didn’t care. He just needed to get away. Keep moving. 

Finally, he slowed to a stop. Breath after breath puffed out of exhausted lips, and Varian slid down onto the floor with a whimper. He hated this. 

Voices sounded from around the corner. Was it the King? Did he know Varian overheard him? Panicked, the child scooped Ruddiger up from the cart and hid behind a large plant. The raccoon complained with angry chitters, but Varian shushed him. 

Cassandra rounded the corner, two other maids by her side. They all carried mounds of laundry, too tall to see over, only around. 

Conversation was light, it sounded like the same gossip they always had. That was until Cassandra, unable to see, stepped right on top of the cart. Her foot flew with the wheels, and down went the handmaiden with a shriek. Clothes were flung into the air along with her, and she groaned in pain.

“What was that, are you ok?” One of the maids asked, dropping her basket to help her up. The third maid kicked the cart aside. 

Cassandra let out a grunt. “Yea, just my tailbone,” and with that, she scrambled to pick up her laundry. Varian had half a mind to run out and help her, but the paralyzing fear of getting in trouble kept him in place. He hadn’t meant to hurt her! Just like with the rocks, it was an accident! It always was!

“Stupid cart,” the third maid brushed Cassandra off. “Honestly, I wonder what goes through that kid’s head sometimes.”

-

_ “Experiment 87,” Ulla stated, speaking aloud as she wrote. The quill’s loud scratching, normally deafening, was drowned out by the hum of machinery and electricity. “The rocks seem to respond to electricity, acting like a conductor. The subject responds only to emotional distress,” The last part was said with thinly veiled disgust. “So, I have decided to combine the two concepts into one experiment.” Satisfied, the woman stood up from her chair and rounded around the room.  _

_ Their house in Old Corona was their biggest by far. Ulla had grown up here, played here, dreamed of a moment like this here. Perhaps sans the electrically charged chair and terrified child.  _

_ But hey, beggars can’t be choosers.  _

_ Varian trembled like a leaf in the wind from his restraints. The leather bit into his skin, metal buckles pinching and tweaking. He didn’t dare struggle, though. That would just make Momma angry. She fiddled with the settings, humming in delight as the machine responded beautifully to her commands. _

_ “If we give the test subject a series of controlled shocks, it should ignite his flight or fight response, which seems to be the biggest trigger of rocks. This is just the prototype, of course. If this initial test is successful, I’ll begin work on a collar, or some other portable device. As powerful as the chair is, it’s impractical.” Ulla wasn’t speaking directly to Varian. She never was in these situations. When he asked, Ulla insisted it was because she was a scientist. But the rambling was just that, the rambling of a deranged woman who longed for power by any means necessary.  _

_ She glanced up at her son’s terrified eyes. They welled with tears, lip trembling. “Oh, I almost forgot!” She rummaged through her pockets and fished out a piece of fabric. “Open your mouth, Varian.”  _

_ He shook his head, or at least, as best as he could in the machine. _

_ His momma rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, this is for your own good! We’re learning how to control your rocks so you don’t ruin this life for us! Old Corona is our last resort. The sooner you learn to control yourself, the better. So stick this in your mouth and let momma work.”  _

_ Varian couldn’t stop the hiccup that came when he opened his mouth, but Ulla took the opportunity anyway. She shoved the fabric between baby teeth, and pulled a nearby lever.  _

_ The machine crackled with energy. Blue lightning sparked, lighting the room in a near ethereal glow. It would be beautiful if it wasn’t so painful.  _

_ Through the fabric, Varian let out a shriek, louder than he’d ever screamed before. It was a strange mix of painful and unpleasant, that odd feeling of his body vibrating. Varian had experienced pain before. He’s gotten bruises, scrapes, the occasional burn from getting too close to momma’s experiments. And this certainly wasn’t the first time he was the test subject. But it was definitely the worst.  _

_ He screamed again, and a black rock shot out of the ground. Ulla’s eyes gleamed hungrily. _

_ Then another.  _

_ And another.  _

_ Obsidian, pure and black, gleamed as it grew closer and closer, spiking up through the floor and towards the scientist with ill intent– _

_ Ulla slammed down on the kill switch just as a rock sliced too close, cutting a clean streak of red through the palm of her hand. She and her son cried out in unison. _

_ All was quiet, save for the broken sobs of a frightened child.  _

_ But Ulla didn’t care about that. She nursed her injured hand, thoughts a violent storm. _

_ Her plan had worked… too well. _

_ There really was no working with him, was there? _

-

“More like what is he being taught,” Cassandra joked. “It’s fine, I can use it to carry the laundry before I drop it off at his door.” Hey! Cart thief! Ruddiger growled low in Varian’s ear. Varian didn’t really notice. He was trying to stifle his cries. He could still feel the electricity, the phantom shocks sent shivers down his spine. 

While Cassandra and the maids focused on the cart, Varian snuck around the plant and broke off into a sprint. This time, it wasn’t so much fear of the people, more the fear of his mind. He had no idea what was happening to him. All he knew was that he kept remembering things, awful things, the stuff he left behind when Eugene took him in. 

On any other day, whenever he was scared, he could toddle around and plead to the nearest maid to point him to Eugene. On any other day, he could beg for a hug or a show of affection, a reminder that Varian was here to stay, that he was safe. On any other day, he could happily wander the halls, knowing if he needed anything, Eugene would be right there. But he wasn’t allowed to see Eugene at all today. 

What if Eugene decided after today that he liked the peace and quiet? What if Eugene didn’t want Varian around anymore? 

Ruddiger tucked himself tightly around Varian’s shoulders, purring sweetly. The vibrations normally calmed Varian, even lulled him to sleep, but not today. Varian flinched violently when purrs jostled his neck, and he instinctually batted at it. Get him out of the machine! Get him out NOW! 

Ruddiger didn’t take kindly to that. He was trying to soothe his friend, and this is the thanks he gets? A striped tail whacked angrily against Varian’s face, and tiny teeth bit down on the child’s neck. 

He let out a shriek, and a single, massive rock spiked through the floor. Marble lay ruined at its base, and shredded carpet floated through the air. 

The two friends froze, staring in horror at the intrusion. 

The clanking of armor and heavy footsteps echoed behind him, before stuttering to a stop. Varian whipped his head around, and came face to face with a shocked Quirin.

The man took a step forward. “Son–”

_ “–Listen to me,” Ulla whispered. They were in a quiet alley, away from the festivities. It was so bright out today, it was as if the sun itself was here in Corona! Laughter and music verberated from the nearby square. But Varian wasn’t focused on that. His momma looked happy, excited even! She had all day! It was so rare that Varian got to see her smile, much less at him!  _

_ “I need you to sit here and wait for me. Can you do that, Varian? Can you be good? It’ll make me very happy.”  _

_ Varian nodded fervently. He wanted nothing more than to make his momma happy! She always seemed so sad or angry, and nothing he ever did seemed to cheer her up. In fact, his presence only made it worse. So for her to be happy because of what he did? It was heaven! _

_ “Ok momma!” He chirped, bouncing on the balls of his feet.  _

_ “Now, don’t go anywhere, ok? Especially not back to Old Corona,” She booped his nose, and he giggled. “And don’t ask anyone where I am. It’s not important. Ok?” _

_ “OK!”  _

_ She sighed, staring down at him. Her eyes clouded with sadness, familiar and yet… foreign, this time. It seemed more bittersweet. “Farewell, moondrop,” she whispered. And with a pat to his head, she left the alley, back into the crowd.  _

_ Varian was a good boy! He’d sit and wait! And wait he did! For nearly 2 days! Through hunger and thirst, even sleeping right there in the alley. But soon enough, he had to move.  _

_ He’d hated it. He’d hated making his momma upset. Surely she’d be coming back, so he couldn’t leave the alley long! Then she’d get nervous! _

_ So he came back. Only leaving for food and water, he came back, day after day, sitting in that alleyway, waiting.  _

_ Hoping. _

_ Praying. _

_ Until Eugene showed him she wasn’t coming.  _

_ She never was.  _

The terror was too much. It felt as if the walls were closing in on him, suffocating him, clawing at his lungs and preventing him from breathing. 

He took one step away from Quirin. Then another. The man seemed pained, and reached out.

Varian bolted. 

He didn’t care if Eugene was going to be upset. He didn’t care if Cassie would yell about his cart. He wanted his Eugene. 

He wanted his Dad. 

Tiny legs, exhausted from the day of running, pounded through the castle for hopefully the last time. He knew the way by heart, and he was able to easily lose Quirin (if the man was even chasing him). Finally, he reached the familiar door. The guilt of waking a sick Eugene was heavily outweighed by his terror, his craving of someone who loved him no matter what. The door easily swung open, banging into the wall. 

Eugene sprang up like he’d been shot. “WHA-WHAZZAT? What’s happening?” He cried, eyes searching wildly for an explanation. The only one he got was Varian leaping into bed with him and curling up to his chest.

“Daddy, I- I’m sorry!” He coughed, sobs so violent they caused him to shake. Tiny hands gripped Eugene’s shirt with a vice like grip. 

Eugene blinked, flabbergasted. He’d never seen Varian cry this hard, not even after a nightmare! And wait, he called him Dad?  _ Daddy _ ? But his questions could wait. Right now, his son needed comfort. 

“Hey, hey, shhh, it’s ok Bluebird,” Eugene’s strong arms wrapped around Varian, pulling him close. “You’re ok, I’m not mad, I love you.” The last one got a blubbery, garbled response Eugene couldn’t make out. The kid blew harshly into Eugene’s shirt. 

“Oh, ew,” Eugene muttered, but otherwise didn’t complain. He rocked Varian back and forth, shushing him quietly. 

Finally, warmth, safety, security. It was so relieving, so relaxing, Varian began to doze off. He’ll tell Eugene what upset him later. 

When Rapunzel came to check on her boyfriend, she found them both sound asleep and snoring softly. The little boy was cradled in his dad’s arms.

“Boundaries, huh,” She sighed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BGERWBDGSFERDGFWE SORRY NOT SORRY  
> I know a lot of you are just here for dadgene baby varian fluff I SWEAR I'm doing a halloween spooky chapter, and then the next chapter is just gonna be a bunch of requests/cute drabbles. If you wanna join in on the baby train dm me on tumblr @/Glacecakes for an invite to the scar varian server where we pit baby in a gladiatorial hunger games against other au varians. He won today!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian's growing up fast! So fast Eugene isn't sure how to handle it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: the next chapter is gonna be something light, a collection of drabbles and headcanons  
> Varian servers: baby hugo  
> Me, opening up my laptop and throwing all my papers aside: BABY HUGO
> 
> Once again a thanks to all the servers I'm in! Y'all are mad supportive I would die for u all

“...Water is a pol….polar mole..cule… which means it… it has a slight charge,” Varian rambled, hands glossing over laminated words. He sat near a roaring fireplace, its heat seeping into tiny bones. Eugene laid sprawled out by his side, eyes shut. It was one of those cold, dreary days, so they were holed up in the library. Usually Eugene would read to Varian, happy to change his voice and act out fantastical stories. Varian hung onto his every word like gospel. Somedays, Varian would read for himself, happy to learn reading by entertaining Eugene. But today, Varian had grabbed a book the size of his head, lugged it over to their reading nook, opened it up, and began a mini lecture. Staying awake with a fireplace at your back was hard enough, but coupled with teaching? It was a losing battle, and Eugene accepted his defeat with grace. 

Varian did not. 

“Eugene!” Varian whined. The man gave a noncommittal hum, but that only angered his toddler more. 

_ Thwack.  _ “Pay!”  _ Thwack.  _ “Attention!”  _ Thwack.  _ “To!”  _ Thwack.  _ “MEEEEEEE!”  _ Thwack. Thwack. Thwack. _

“Ok, ok!” Eugene shrieked, holding his arms up to protect his head from any more blows. “I’m awake! I’m listening!” He sighed fondly at the big pout Varian sported. “Aw, buddy, I’m sorry, it’s just so comfy!”

Varian didn’t take kindly to that excuse, judging by the crocodile tears. He flailed his legs. “Nooooo, no sleep! Only book!” 

“No sleep ever? That’s gonna be a little tricky.”

“Noooooooooo!” 

Eugene finally took pity on the kid. He pulled him close and rolled onto his back so Varian was laying on top of him. He nuzzled his face into soft black hair. It still smelled faintly of blueberry shampoo. Varian was learning fast, maybe too fast if Eugene was being honest. The kid ate through book after book, quickly surpassing simple storybooks and easy nonfiction. Now he was slowly chewing through bigger nonfiction. A quick glance told Eugene he was being taught middle school chemistry. Whenever Varian wasn’t playing in the garden, or shadowing one of his favorite adults, Varian was usually here, consuming the entirety of the kids section. Most of those times, Eugene would inevitably join him, and they’d spend hours reading side by side: Varian, stories, and Eugene, parenting books. 

Rapunzel called them her little bookworms, but Varian had cried when she first called him that. He didn’t want Eugene to be a worm, Eugene called him bluebird, and birds eat worms! 

It was so cute, Eugene secretly hoped Varian would never grow out of kid logic. 

He closed his eyes, tuning out Varian’s complaints. This truly was the life, wasn’t it?

-

A few days later, and Eugene’s life was ending.

Well, that’s being overdramatic. 

After their library day, Eugene brought up the incident to Rapunzel, who spoke to her parents, who pulled a couple strings, and now Varian was going to every parent’s worst nightmare. Varian would be pitted against other kids in a place where children lost their individuality, their fun logic, the little quirks that made each child unique and special. 

_ Kindergarten. _

Varian, for his part, didn’t seem all that scared of Kindergarten. But to be fair, no one told him what it was, either. He’d bounced around, happily carrying his Schultüte and accepting gifts from maids and guards alike who all wanted him to have “fun at school”. Pfft. Fun at school? Impossible! Eugene hated every second of school. He stopped paying attention and look how he turned out! Totally fine!

“You sure you want to go?” Eugene asked. He gripped Varian’s hand so tight his knuckles were nearly white. Varian didn’t seem to mind all that much, skipping as they walked. For his first day Rapunzel had gifted him with a new set of clothes, a pair of blue overalls with a little flower patch on the pant leg. He wore a simple green shirt underneath it, and a backpack filled to the brim with snacks, folders, pencils, and anything else a kid could need. 

“Mhm!” Varian said, jumping over a puddle. 

Eugene gulped. “You sure you’re sure?” Would anyone notice if he just took Varian out for a few hours, and pretended he’d gone to school? Everything Varian needed would be in the castle, why does he need to go to school anyway? 

“Yup!” 

They stopped in front of a small, unimposing schoolhouse. It was painted light yellow, its windows covered in drawings and posters, no doubt done by the nefarious children inside who were only full of cruel words against Eugene’s angel of a bluebird–

“Ok bye!” Varian let go of his hand and ran to the door. 

“W-wait!” That’s it!? No hug goodbye? No “I’ll miss you”? No “Please don’t leave me!” “Ok we’ll go home”? 

Varian stopped before entering, confused. Then, he lit up like a beacon. “Oh!” He raced back, wrapped his arms around Eugene’s legs in a hug, and then bolted back to the school. “Bye Eugene love you!” He cried, and just like that, he was gone.

Eugene gulped, running an anxious hand through his hair. He’s just overthinking it, right? Varian would be fine! Heck, this is good, now he can have a little me time! He’s been torn between teaching guards and raising Varian, he could use a few hours off, right?

-

Varian felt a little bad for his dad, he seemed so… upset? Betrayed? When Varian left, but he couldn’t help it! He’d spent 6 months watching school through windows, and now he was in one! With other kids who were just like him! Not trying to steal his food, or push him around, no, they’re here to learn too!

By the time he entered his classroom, he was practically vibrating with excitement. The walls were covered with fun little decorations, ways to memorize things. The alphabet lined the top of each wall, spanning across the whole room, illuminated by sunlight. In the corner was a plush red carpet, and seated on top were a bunch of kids! He sped over, happily sitting himself front and center, facing the teacher with eager eyes. 

“Good morning class, how is everyone?” 

“Good morning!” Everyone parroted back, startling Varian. He didn’t know the ritual, what to do! Did he look silly? He hoped not! 

Thankfully, no one called it out. Instead, the teacher turned kind eyes to him. “Everyone, we have a special friend with us today! This is Varian, can we all say hi?”

Varian blushed as a dozen tiny eyes turned to him. All of a sudden, he wanted to hide in the back, where no one was staring him down and scrutinizing him. It was like he was still in the castle, with nobility looking down at him! Maybe school was a bad idea...

“Hi!” The children all chorused, just as friendly and happy as their teacher. Varian blinked in shock, confused at the prolonged silence, before he realized what they wanted. “Hi,” he said meekly, satisfying the teacher. 

“Varian, I’m Mr. Finn, let me know if you need any help, alright kiddo?” Varian nodded vehemently. 

The morning passed smoothly, with Mr. Finn reading a story and practicing basic writing and math. While Varian was now an excellent reader, and easily followed the story, writing proved more challenging. He stuck his tongue out in frustration, slowly dragging the pencil down his page. 

“No,” A high pitched voice chimed next to him. He glanced over. The kid next to him was staring right back. He had long blonde hair, longer than Cassie’s but shorter than Rapunzel’s. Sea green eyes shimmered behind frames. “You gotta follow the lines. See?” He held up his paper, proudly displaying a series of “d”s.

“I am,” Varian complained, gazing down at his paper. He could ask Mr. Finn, right? He said so, after all. He went to raise his hand, when the kid grabbed his arm.

“See, you start here,” Though his movements were sloppy, he held onto Varian’s arm and helped him trace out a letter. Varian blinked. That easy? He’d been doing it all wrong! His face lit up in delight. 

“Thanks!” In no time, the rest of the letters were filled in. Varian may not have gotten in right away, but he was a fast learner. It only took a few more letters before the rest of the page was no problem. “I’m Varian,” He held out an arm, like he’d seen the King do.

The boy in front of him grinned, showing off a missing tooth. “I’m Hugo!” He didn’t take Varian’s hand, so the boy put it down. Oh well, maybe it’s just a castle thing. 

What was Eugene so nervous about? School was fun! He already had a friend!

-

Eugene cried into his third helping of mashed potatoes.

“Wow this is sad. How is this any different from days when we babysit?” Cassandra asked, unimpressed. When Lance burst into the castle, insisting that she and Rapunzel come to the Snuggly Duckling and help Eugene, she’d expected a bar fight, or at least something that wasn’t… this. 

Lance shrugged, taking the plate away before Eugene could make himself sick. “Because he can’t go check up on Varian, I think.” That only upset Eugene more, and he let out a tiny whine. Rapunzel, who had been rubbing his back, sped up her soothing motions.

“There there, you’ll see him in a bit,” She said. “To think, a year ago you were Corona’s most wanted thief. Now you’re a dad making a difference!” 

“I’m a dad without a son,” Eugene moaned. That got him an eyeroll from Cassandra.

“He’s been like this since he got here,” Lance added. It had been slightly terrifying. Eugene had burst in, waterworks in full effect. He’d draped himself on Lance’s shoulders, just like he used to when they were kids, acting as if his son was dead and not at school. 

Honestly, it was confusing. Eugene seemed so adverse to getting Varian schooling, but one of his biggest arguments about adopting Varian had been his education! He’d gone on and on about how smart Varian was during those first few days, and how he needed proper schooling, not the poor excuse of an orphanage. But now that Varian was actually in school, it was as if a switch had flipped. 

Rapunzel gained a fire in her eyes, and with a small grunt, pulled him out of his seat. “Come on, Eugene, let’s go cheer you up. How does a day in town sound? Or maybe a haircut?” 

“Varian needs a haircut soon,” was his response. 

The quartet spent much of the afternoon in town, taking in sights and sound. Even after she’d been living here for nearly a year, Rapunzel doubted she’d ever tire of Corona and all it had to offer. But each stop seemed to only remind Eugene more of his son. First was Monty’s where Rapunzel maintained juuuust enough civility to not throttle the man when he asked Rapunzel if she would adopt Varian one day. 

(She fully planned to, but that’s beside the point.)

Then came Xavier’s. The blacksmith was always kind and understanding, and after a quick explanation, he’d been happy to ignore any and all mention of children. That was, until Eugene picked up a dagger with a sigh. 

“Should I teach him how to fight?”

“Eugene he’s not even 5.” Cassandra spoke with a monotone voice.

Eugene nodded. “You’re right. I should’ve started him sooner.” 

He left Xavier’s with a bruised gut. 

“I don’t get it!” Rapunzel cried in frustration. They’d stopped for a break by the fountain, where Eugene sat, staring off in the direction of the schoolhouse. “We’ve taken him all over town, spent the day with him, yet he’s still sad! Is he going to be like this every day Varian’s in school?”

Lance nodded, agreeing. “I thought parents were supposed to be happy when school started.”

“You know I can hear you, right?” Eugene called from his seat. At least his friends and girlfriend had the grace to look guilty. He sighed, redirecting his gaze down at the fountain water. 

In all honesty, he wasn’t so sure either. He loved Varian from the bottom of his heart, but sometimes that kid truly was a handful. Not to mention it had all been so sudden, just like Rapunzel said... That’s when it hit him.

“Stability.”

The others blinked. Rapunzel tilted her head in confusion. So, he elaborated, “My entire life was just, one crazy thing after another. I didn’t stay in school, I became a thief, I ran from place to place. I never had stable housing, or income, or, or anything! And it sucked! A lot! I was constantly stressed out, even when I was in control, I kept waiting for the shoe to drop.

“I know I took Varian in because I wanted stability for him, but…” He glanced up and sheepishly smiled.

“I guess I want it for me, too.” 

-

The school was built right next to a playground, so the children got 30 minutes outside every day. It was a simple thing, with all the basics and a large field for kids to run in. Mr. Finn stood by the school’s door, watching from afar as his class played with one another. 

Hugo pulled Varian along, tugging him past the wooden playground and into the grass field. Varian had never had a friend before, was this how it worked? Regardless, he was happy to come along. 

“Mr. Finn said you live in the castle, is that true?” Hugo asked, stopping in the middle of the field and squatting down into the grass. Varian followed suit, happily twirling a blade of grass between his fingers. 

“Mhm! I live there with Eugene, and Cassie, and-”

“What’s the princess like?” Hugo buts in, staring with wide eyes. They were so close their noses nearly touched. Varian didn’t mind in the slightest. 

“Punzel’s really nice, she lets me paint with her!” He giggled, and Hugo sat back in amazement. 

“My mom says her hair is super long, is that true?” 

“Suuuper long! I like to hide in it.”

“And she lets you!?” 

“Yup! I always get tangled, though.” It was like clockwork: Eugene and Varian would play hide and seek, Varian would hide in her hair, Eugene would find him, he’d get stuck, and Rapunzel would shake him out. She never complained, even though Eugene always made him apologize. 

“It doesn’t hurt,” She reassured them. “I would do the same!” 

Hugo hums, thoroughly impressed. “My mom has really long hair too, and she lets me braid it sometimes!”

Varian gasped. “Really? She  _ lets  _ you?” Gosh, his momma would never let Varian let anywhere near her hair! Apparently he tugged on it as a baby. “That’s so cool!” 

“Really?” Hugo’s face lit up like the sun. 

“Yea! Maybe one day you can meet her!” Varian cheered, directing his gaze down to the grass. There, innocent and unassuming, a small flower grew. Its purple petals furled upwards, allowing Varian to stare right into the yellow center. The first flowers of the season! 

Hugo looked up to find a flower right in front of his face, with a grinning Varian at the other end. “For you!” He said, and Hugo’s face lit up. 

“Thanks!” With one fluid motion, Hugo grasped it and ate it whole. He didn’t even blink. 

Varian blinked. It took a second for what just happened to register. 

Then, he burst into giggles. 

-

Eugene sighed and trudged up to the schoolhouse. As if on cue, a bell rang, and children poured out of the doors. Kids ran to their parents, who were more than happy to scoop their kids up and hear all about their day. Eugene was no exception. Varian exited, and upon seeing him, lit up and flew towards him. 

Eugene caught him easily, spinning around so they were facing the others. “Hi, Varian!” Rapunzel chimed. “How was your day at school!” 

“I liked it a lot!” Varian giggled. “We learned to write, and had pretzels, and, and-”

“Varian!” 

They all turned to see a very nervous looking Hugo, with his cheeks flushed. “I-I just wanted to say… it was nice to meet you! And maybe we can hang out sometime soon and you can show me the castle ok bye!” He then promptly fled, back towards the arms of an exasperated older woman who was probably his mom.

“Bye Hugo!” Varian called, waving in their general direction. “That was Hugo, he’s really nice.”

“I’ll bet,” Cassandra muttered, mildly amused.

Eugene couldn’t help the beams of pride. One day in school and he’d already made a friend! That was more than he could say for his own time in school. “You’re growing up so fast,” Eugene whispered, pulling Varian close. He bounced his arms, Varian happy at the rhythm. “Don’t grow up too fast, ok? Otherwise I’d get all old and wrinkly.” 

“Ah, your highness!” 

Rapunzel turned to see a teacher headed their way. “I’m Mr. Finn, I was with Varian today.”

The princess beamed. “Oh, that’s wonderful, thank you! How was it?” 

“He was great, princess, a delight! I look forward to seeing him in September.” Mr. Finn leaned down to Varian’s height. “I’ll see you in a few months, Varian!”

“Bye bye!” Varian responded, frowning when Eugene stilled in his bouncing. 

“Wait, September?” He asked, confused. Wouldn’t he be seeing Varian tomorrow? It was Wednesday, after all. 

Cassandra laughed. “Oh, we didn’t tell you?” She leaned on his arm. “Varian’s too young for kindergarten. He can’t start till the new school year, when he’ll be 5.”

Eugene paled. “So, I have to go through this… all over?” Varian cocked his head in confusion when Lance barked out a laugh, and Rapunzel covered her mouth to hide a smile. The handmaiden patted Eugene’s back in mock sympathy. 

That night, Eugene cried into another serving of potatoes while Varian practiced his letters. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Schultüte, by the way, is a german tradition! It's a paper cone you stuff school supplies and gifts into so kids dont hate going back to school.   
> Baby Varian eats worms baby Hugo eats flowers   
> Pls leave a comment if you enjoyed!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Totally harmless fun, nothing out of the unusual! Snow days! Varian fights for Eugene's hand!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of this was inspired by jokes and plot bunnies from the Scar AU server, big thanks to them! And to all of you for your words of love on this fic! Forfeit all mortal possessions to baby

The wind howled, beating mercilessly against the windows. At this rate, Eugene would spend tomorrow morning cleaning the yards of debris. Captain always gave him labor when he got pissy, and Eugene’s been pushing the man’s buttons lately. Or rather, he keeps letting Varian mess with him.

Eugene tries to be strict, he really does! It’s just whenever he looks into those baby blue eyes, so full of love and adoration, he forgets whatever he was going to say and gives Varian whatever he asks for. Cassandra and Rapunzel tease him mercilessly for it, and every single time, Eugene swears he’ll be stricter, only for the process to start all over again. 

Case in point, the door to his room creaks open, letting in the hallway’s candlelight. A familiar mop of black hair peeks in. Its owner debates whether or not to enter, and Eugene sighs fondly. As he sits up, his young son grips tighter on the doorknob, deep in thought.

“Bud,” He whispers, and Varian starts. “You coming in?”

It takes a moment for him to make up his mind, but sure enough, Varian toddles in. “Couldn’t sleep,” He mumbles. “Sky is loud.”

“The storm?”

“Mhm.” Varian responded, struggling to climb up onto the bed. His short legs kicked wildly as he finally pulled himself up to Eugene’s side. He really needed to start enforcing boundaries. Varian needed to sleep in his own bed. Then again, he usually did, this stuff only happened once a week. Was that normal at his age? Or was it an anxiety thing? He needs to buy more parenting books...

“Don’t like storms, they’re cold,” Varian mumbled, snapping Eugene out of his spiralling panic. 

_ Oh _ . 

Eugene’s teeth bit into his bottom lip, worrying it. Then, silently, he lifted the covers up, and let Varian snuggle deep in. 

It wasn’t enough, apparently. Varian let out a whine, and reached his arms up towards his caretaker. He gave a little grabby motion, making Eugene laugh. 

“Use your words, bluebird.”

Varian pouted, cranky tears budding. “Cuddles?” He asked, and, ope, there’s those big puppy dog eyes again. 

Cassandra and Rapunzel were right. He’s weak. 

“Of course,” Eugene grabbed a blanket from the end of his bed. The soft velvet swaddled his kid like a burrito, and he wrapped Varian in tight. He looked like a little worm, wiggling about in the bundle, but unable to escape. It was for Eugene’s safety; Varian liked to kick in his sleep. On one of the first nights, Varian had kicked him in the face and gave him a bloody nose. 

He swept Varian up, bouncing the sack in his arms. Only Varian’s head was visible, and it was one of sleepy delight. His eyes struggled to stay open as Eugene rested them both on his back, Varian’s ear up to his chest. The father’s heartbeat thrummed like a lullaby. 

“Goodnight, Varian,” Eugene whispered.

“Night, daddy,” Varian yawned. They fell asleep in minutes. 

-

Varian smushed his face against the window, marvelling at the power that fell from the sky. Snow usually meant a day inside, bundled up by a fire, with his momma showing him an ounce of concern by letting him have cocoa. But now that he was with Eugene, snow meant play! It meant Eugene had the day off from teaching! To spend all day with him!

He bounded out of his room and skidded down the corridor, passing guards and maids alike. It was as if he was flying, he was so excited!

“Eugeneeeeeeeee!” He cried, jumping onto his caretaker’s stomach. The man knew what he wanted, and was able to catch him.

“Oof, you know I have ribs, right?” He grunted, swinging Varian up into his arms. Since he’d moved in, Varian had gotten a good bit heavier. That wasn’t a bad thing, quite the opposite; the doctors are very thrilled at Varian’s turn in health. His cheeks were plump and pinchable with baby fat, as they should be. “So, what’s up?”

“It’s snowing!” Varian gushed, wiggling around in his dad’s arms. “Can we go outside, pleeeeeease?” 

The man hummed in thought. “Well, since you said please, sure. But!” He held up a finger to stop Varian from bouncing out of his arms. “We gotta bundle up or there’s no going outside. That means shoes, young man!” That earned him a pout. He and Rapunzel had more than just freckles in common. 

Thankfully, Varian was too eager to go outside to complain, so they were bundled up and in the yard pretty fast. To be honest, Eugene hated snow. It was wet, and not the fun kind. It was the “ruin your socks and hair” kind of wet. But since everyone else in Corona seemed to be a fan, he had no choice but suck it up. 

Hey, at least the kid was enjoying himself. Varian’s cheeks were flushed a rose red, and snot dribbled down his nose, but he wasn’t complaining. Eugene bundled him up so tight it was a miracle the kid could move, let alone run and play, but Varian waddled around like a penguin without a care in the world. Each step was accompanied by the  _ crunch _ of snow under his feet, and a flurry of powder from when he lifted his foot. 

At some point, a patch of snow fell from a tree and onto his head, earning Eugene the privilege of hearing Varian’s delighted squeals. You’d think that would upset him, but no. Eugene could never predict what would upset the kid, and what would be laughed off. 

And hey, if Varian liked the first few spatters of snow on his head, Eugene was content to watch him tempt fate. 

Varian decided to try and recreate that feeling, the shock and joy of extra snow coming from the sky, and so he ran from tree to tree, smacking the bark and shrieking when snow fell. He was small, so it wasn’t like he could knock too much snow…

No wait, spoke too soon.

Eugene bit back laughter as he watched. Varian, overly confident, marched up to a large pine tree, one with massive mounds of snow trapped on leaves. He seemed to be under the assumption that more snow was more fun, and so he backed up, and threw his entire body at the tree. 

It worked too well. A cascade of snow fell from the heavens, and  _ god _ , Eugene felt so bad for laughing, but the face of horror at what he’d done just moments before being buried in snow… it was priceless. The snow fell with a  _ whump _ , and Varian completely vanished from view. The only remainder of the kid was the pom pom of his hat. 

For a moment, there was silence. Varian stood still, shocked at what had happened. Then, he started kicking, trying to get to the surface of the mound. It stretched on forever, his entire sight was white! (In reality, It was maybe 3 inches taller than him.)

Eugene silently fell to the ground, laughter shaking him to his core. The laughs only got more intense when Varian, panicking and trying to escape, somehow ended up upside down. Only his little boots were free, and they kicked wildly. It seemed this was when Varian gave up, as he let out a siren’s wail. 

“Oh, buddy,” Eugene wheezed, jogging over. Through the snow he could hear Varian’s muffled screams and tears. He could breathe, the snow wasn’t nearly dense enough to suffocate him, but it was certainly scary. “I gotcha.” With a quick tug, Eugene pulled Varian feet first, and found himself at eye level with a distraught toddler. His entire face was red, eyelashes covered in white crystals, and pudgy cheeks were covered in tears. 

“Stop laughingggggg,” Varian whined, but it only made the man laugh harder. The shaking of his abs made it hard to hold onto his squirming child, but it was totally worth it. 

-

“Here’s the brush you were looking for, sunshine.” Eugene hummed, holding a now dry Varian in one hand and his gift in the other. Rapunzel brightened at seeing them, happily taking her brush back. 

“Thanks, Eugene,” She said, pecking him on the cheek. Varian frowned, confused at how Eugene’s cheeks warmed at her touch. And what was that expression, all gooey and smiley? He’d never seen anything like it, not from momma, or any villager, he’d only seen it between those two! He let out a noise of complaint, and reached out to grasp Rapunzel’s hair. 

“Oh, Varian, did you want a kiss too?” she asked, chuckling. He was the biggest lovebug, delighting in all sorts of hugs and snuggles. Whereas Cass couldn’t handle more than a few seconds of her notorious bear hugs, Varian sought them out when he was feeling sad. It was a refreshing change that she very much appreciated and adored. 

But Varian shook his head, further incensed. “Why’s he making that face?” he asked. 

“Who, Eugene?” Said man snapped out of his love-lorn trance to watch the conversation. 

“Hey, my face is flawless! It’s cuz I love her, that’s all.”

“But I love Punzel too!” Varian whined. He didn’t make that expression, did he? Oh gosh, he hoped not! It looks so stupid! 

“It’s a different kind of love, Varian,” with a smile, Rapunzel took one of Varian’s hands in her own. “It’s a kind of love you only share with one person, and it’s very special.”

“The best kind of love there is,” Eugene agreed, and oh, there’s the expression again, except Rapunzel was making a similar one. They came together in a kiss, squishing Varian in between them. While he did enjoy the closeness, the words caught him off guard. Love you share with only one person? Does that mean Eugene doesn’t love him? Rapunzel…. She stole Eugene’s love from him! 

“Fight me!” 

Rapunzel and Eugene broke apart, shocked, as if they had forgotten he was there. He glared daggers at Rapunzel. “Fight me for Eugene’s love!” 

Eugene sputtered in shock. “W-what…? Buddy, you don’t need to fight for-”

“Swords at dawn!” the child roared, fussing until he was let go. He landed on the floor squarely and puffed up his chest. 

Despite his attempts to look intimidating, it failed spectacularly. He looked like an angry marshmallow. It didn’t help that his outfit for the day was a fuzzy, oversized sweater. Rapunzel bit back a laugh. 

“Where did you hear that term, young man?” She joked, hands on her hips. Varian wasn’t deterred and didn’t respond, only puffing up his cheeks. The princess shook her head fondly. “He gets it from you,” she muttered to Eugene, who gasped, insulted. “Me? It’s totally from you!” 

Varian stomps his foot. “Hey!” he cries, and the attention goes back to him. 

“You’re right, it’s totally me,” Eugene runs a hand over his face. “You don’t need to fight Rapunzel, Varian, I love you both equally!”

Varian shakes his head. “You said your love is only with one person, and it’s special! Well, I want it! I’m special, right?” 

Eugene couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed and slightly bewildered. “Y-yes, but this is a different kind of special…!” His face burned a bright red. 

“I’ll do it.”

Both father and son turned to Rapunzel, who gazed at Varian with a smirk and fire in her eyes. “You and me, we fight for Eugene’s love tomorrow, sound good?”

“Winner takes Eugene, loser dies!” He crowed. They shook hands, completely ignoring Eugene’s face of dumbstruck horror. 

The rest of the day, Varian and Rapunzel kept their distance, Rapunzel’s glare more teasing, while Varian’s was full of fury and jealousy. All the while, Eugene bounced and forth between both of them, trying to stop the fight before it began.

“Come on, bud, you love Rapunzel, right? Just like I do. You don’t have to do this,” he pleaded over the dinner table. Varian crossed his arm, a glob of food falling off his spoon and onto his sleeve. 

“I’m fighting for your honor!” 

“I regret reading you Flynn Rider.” 

Rapunzel bit back a laugh, letting the child stare her down. She ignored the confused looks of her parents, sticking her tongue out in return. Varian wanted a fight? She’s more than willing to throw down. Not for real, sun no, she’s not crazy. But the look on Eugene’s face was so funny… and besides, it’s her turn to be the fun parent! Even if that means fighting over the other parent. Varian seemed so eager, and hey, she’d always fight for her right to love Eugene, no matter who the opponent was! Eugene glanced over at her, desperate for help, for Rapunzel to admit that this was an elaborate ruse. She simply smiled and dug further into her meal. 

What’s the harm?

-

Quirin paced back and forth in his room, wearing the wood thin with his weight. 

“I should tell the king… no… it had to be a coincidence, right? I saw Ulla take it, but she says she doesn’t have it, it could be a lie…!” He mumbled to himself.

He couldn’t sleep last night, nor the night before. In fact, he’d struggled all week. Laying awake, thinking about what he’d seen. 

A small child.

A shriek.

A black spike, jutting out in perfect harmony with his cries. 

A glowing stripe of hair.

It. 

_ The moonstone.  _

Everything he’d ever known, every clue, every trace seemed irrelevant. He’d been spending the past half a decade looking for the moonstone. Had he been looking in the wrong place? Has each new spike, each life ruined, not been the work of a sadistic woman, but rather a scared child? It seemed preposterous, he didn’t steal the moonstone, after all.

No. He knows who did. 

Ulla had been… well, not nice, never nice. Accepting, maybe. Calm. Apparently her old partner ditched her to raise a family, so she’d latched onto Quirin after saving him from bandits (he didn’t need saving, thank you!) . As a man constantly on the move, he’d made no complaints. Company was very much needed on the journey he was on. 

It was hard to figure out where the rocks were headed, back then. They’d seemed aimless, forever wandering in search of the missing sundrop. It’s why King Frederick sought him out, after all. If the rocks pointed to the sundrop, where he’d find the sundrop, he’d find the princess. 

Alas, that trail ended cold, but all’s well that ends well for the King, at least? 

Ulla, curious, scientific,  _ genius  _ Ulla, she’d begged to see his homeland. His family. The place from which the rocks originated. And while Quirin had been loathe, the longer they traveled, the harder he found it to say no. She was cunning, and quick, and all the things Quirin wasn’t. Opposites attract, so they say.

But that also meant she wasn’t loyal. 

The day she’d betrayed him was the worst day of his life. 

He had let her in, shown her his legacy, his purpose, his  _ destiny _ . And then Ulla had stolen it. She’d reached out and grasped the stone with a hunger Quirin had never seen. A bright light consumed her, blinding him, and when it vanished, the stone vanished too. 

Ulla had been just as confused as he, but the rocks began to sprout at her feet. When she ran, she left a trail of rocks in her wake. Enraged and humiliated, Quirin had no choice but to follow. He saw the trail of destruction, the despair she left in her wake. 

But then she had vanished. The rocks stopped sprouting at her feet. They only appeared sporadically, causing problems in isolated villages, one after another. By the time Quirin arrived to investigate, she was long gone. 

Until now. 

Now, he had a lead. A lead that wasn’t her. But… if it was  _ correct… _ and this child truly possessed the moonstone…

Could he do what needed to be done? 

-

The next day came, and Varian was ready. 

He’d spent the whole night preparing, thinking sad thoughts, scary thoughts, every instance he could remember where a rock had bothered him. His mood was in the drain, and he was fully prepared. 

“Last chance, bluebird, you know I love you, we can call this off!” Eugene said when he came to dress Varian for the day. 

“Death before dishonor!” 

“Where did you even  _ learn _ \- never mind. Sure, fine, Rapunzel is waiting.” 

From around the corner, Cass snickered. She’d come to watch, eager to see the two sweetest souls engage in mortal combat. And also mess with Eugene.

Mostly the latter. 

“If you need a weapon, Varian, I got a few knives you can borrow!” She offered as the three made their way to the battlefield. Eugene’s ghostly pale face resembled that of paper with its waxy, white sheen. It was amazing. Before Varian, she’d only seen Eugene this stressed when he had a bad hair day. Now, his hair seemed like the least of his worries. Not when he has a feral child to keep alive. 

“No knives, please and thank you, I would like to live.” He moaned. 

Cassandra’s grin only grew. “Are you even alive right now? They say the old self dies with fatherhood.” 

“No one says that.”

“They could.”

He swatted her away, grumbling. But Varian paid them no heed. His mind was focused on only one thing: victory. By any means necessary. 

The three of them finally made it out into the courtyard. Snow still covered every surface, bathing the world in a glittery white. Rapunzel stood in a warm dress, not wearing shoes, but rather a pair of fuzzy socks. Cassandra wouldn’t let her outside with at least some warmth. She hadn’t bothered to put her hair up for the day, either. 

“You still wanna do this, little man?” She teased, hands on her hips. Eugene sent her a glare. 

“No one loves Eugene more than I do!” Varian declared, letting go of Eugene’s hand and marching forward.

Rapunzel was unfazed. “Really? I changed my whole life for him, remember?” 

Eugene had told him how he and Rapunzel met the other day. Well, most of it. Something told him Varian would not take too kindly to Eugene dying. Or the bit about a cruel mother. Maybe save those for when Varian’s older. 

“So did I!” Varian yelled. They began to circle, a delicate dance. Prey and predator. Friend and foe. 

“He  _ offered _ you a new life. I convinced him to give it to me.” From the sidelines, Cassandra gasped. “Ooooh, you gonna take that, Varian?” she cried. 

“No!” He answered, and charged at the princess. A blur of yellow engulfed his vision, and like a fly in a trap, he was ensnared, swallowed by a mound of hair. 

With a pull, Rapunzel pulled him close. Grabbed him. And moved her fingers across his sides.

“Noooooo!” He squeaked, trying to wiggle out of her hair, but it was no use! She had him in place, right where she wanted. 

“Surrender!” She cried, tickling his sides. 

“N-neeeever!!” His lip wobbled, and little tears formed. Oh no, did she go too far? It was just supposed to be a little teasing! Rapunzel faltered. 

Just as he’d expected. 

He summoned all the anger built up in him. There would only be one shot at this, after all. He let out the telltale scream of an upset child.

Sure enough, the rocks heard his call. 

They spiralled out from his spot, jutting out in all directions. Rapunzel dropped him with a gasp, narrowly avoiding getting pierced. Her hair floated up, swirling in the sky like clouds that covered her sun, in tandem with Varian’s own hair lighting up and floating. The whole yard reeked of magic.

Everything went still. No one dared move a muscle. Then, like a breath being held, it all deflated. The rocks shrunk down beneath the surface again, and all hair dropped. 

Eugene stood in shock, frozen in place. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head. Sneaking a glance at Cassandra told him she was just as bewildered. 

Varian opened his eyes. That… that worked…? It worked! He let out a victorious laugh. In your face, momma! No more electric chair for him! All he needed to do was think sad thoughts!

“I did it!” he crowed, jumping up and down. Thrilled, he threw himself at Eugene, happily burrowing himself into his dad’s arms. All that love, all for him!

“Well, you certainly did… something…” Eugene muttered, still dumbstruck. The adults all shared nervous glances. What on earth just happened? 

Quirin stood on the balcony, gripping its railings with white knuckles. It was the only thing keeping him from collapsing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm debating whether or not to redo chapter 1 bc i'm not a fan of how ooc eugene is so if u have any opinions on that feel free to share


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian comes down with a cold; the ramifications of learning the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting making this, had a breakdown, bon apetit. 
> 
> No deadass that's what happened Space and Finn gave me a rly good idea, I rewrote the whole chapter, had a mental breakdown, went to therapy, cranked this out. So. sorry for being late rip.

So apparently staying up all night with your negative thoughts in order to win your father’s love was a bad idea. 

The rest of the day was silent and somber. Rapunzel and Eugene kept sharing looks that Varian couldn’t comprehend. Cassandra paled whenever she looked at him. But they never spoke a word of what had occurred, and it was driving Varian crazy. He didn’t get any of the victory glory, no, instead he got bitterness and despair. At least momma would have been proud of him; she’d always wanted him to control his powers. 

Around bedtime he got cranky. It started with not wanting to eat dinner. Usually Eugene would let Varian throw a tantrum; he refused to bow to Varian’s wishes and let him have his way. But not then. Eugene was terrified of a tantrum, what the destruction could entail. So when Varian refused to eat, he didn’t question it, and simply carted Varian off to an early bedtime. 

But when he and his girlfriend came to get Varian in the morning, exhausted from a night of conversing and debating and  _ crying _ , they found Varian not much better off. 

The boy’s face was coated in sweat, radiating an uncomfortable heat. He whimpered, not even complaining when Eugene lifted him up out of bed. Instead he buried his face into the crook of Eugene’s neck, hot tears dripping down onto it. While morning cuddles were usual, this crying was definitely not. 

It was so concerning that they had booked it down to the infirmary half out of their minds with worry. 

“You said he woke up like this?” The doctor asked, brushing a gloved hand across Varian’s temple. 

“Yes, he won’t talk to me, is he ok? I mean, obviously not, but-”

Eugene’s panicking was cut off by an abrupt sneeze, then another. Varian moaned, shifting away from the doctor’s hand. 

“Loud,” Varian mumbled. “Hurts.”

They all quieted. “Sounds like a bug, or the flu,” Rapunzel hummed. 

The doctor nodded. “He just needs rest and fluids. Has he ever been sick before?” 

“Not while with us, no.”

“Alright. Take his temperature every hour until the fever breaks, and if it gets above 103 bring him back.” With a ruffle to Varian’s hair, the doctor wandered off, likely to see another patient. 

“I’ll take him back to his room,” Eugene muttered. “You’re probably busy today, right?”

“Not too busy for him!” The princess whispered back. She frowned, reaching a hand over and brushing it against Varian’s cheek. Poor thing. “He’s miserable, he’ll need some love and snuggles.”

“Did you not hear the doctor? He needs rest.”

“How can he rest when he’s in pain!?” 

The conversation became more biting the more both of them spoke. Even without them running on minimal sleep, taking care of a sick child would not be ideal. And it seemed they had wildly different ideas on how to help. 

It didn’t help they’d been up all night thinking about the… other problem.

“Look,” Rapunzel finally sighed. “We all need sleep. You can take the first shift, I’ll come get you in a few hours. Ok?” Her eyes, while misty from frustration, tried to shine with their usual kindness. Eugene felt like he’d been punched in the gut with a guilt fist, but also, he remembered why he loved this woman so much. 

Eugene smiled sadly. “Alright, get some rest. Love you.” She gave him a peck on the cheek, and with that, she left.

For a moment he was lost in thought, but Eugene frowned as Varian began to squirm. Tears of pain still streaked down chubby cheeks, at least until Eugene began to bounce him in his arms. He kept one hand on Varian’s head and pulled it to his chest, the other kept supporting his son. Varian, despite being past infancy, still retained a love for being cradled and rocked. Likely because he never really got it before. It did the trick, and he was back to an uneasy calm in minutes.

He kept up the bouncing, letting Varian rest while they walked back to Varian’s room. He only stopped his soothing motions to deposit Varian back in bed, and then switched to stroking his son’s soft hair. 

“Daddy don’t go,” Varian whispered. “‘M sorry.”

Eugene blinked. There it was again, calling him dad. So far Varian only did it when especially upset or tired, but it warmed his heart every time. The situation wasn’t great, but still the fuzzies remained. 

“What are you sorry for, bud?” Eugene hummed. “Not your fault you got sick. It just happens.”

“For the rocks.” A hazy, clouded blue peeked open to stare into the man’s soul. Through the pain Eugene could see fear, despair, and anguish; and it wasn’t because of the illness.

“Those…” He sighed. True, they caused problems, and it was a miracle Rapunzel didn’t touch them and cause an explosion, but it could wait until Varian was healthy again. “It’s… ok. Why didn’t you tell me about it?”

Varian shrugged. “Cuz momma….” his voice trailed off. He didn’t even know where to begin. If he told Eugene everything, about the experiments and running and pain, would Eugene do the same? 

No, no. Eugene and momma were not the same. Eugene loved him. Eugene cared for him! He would never. 

Thankfully, Eugene picked up on it. “Get some rest, ok? We’ll deal with it when you’re feeling better.”

Varian unconsciously grabbed his stuffed toy, bringing the ear up to suck on. “No,” he mumbled through felt. “Not tired.” 

His dad suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. “What are you then?”

“A frog.”

He let out a bark of laughter at that. “A frog, eh? Like Pascal? Well this little frog,” he poked Varian’s nose which earned a breathless giggle. “Needs some rest.”

“Story?” Big blue eyes gazed up at him, pleading. 

Yea, he should’ve seen it coming. Now that he was thinking about it, Eugene prayed Varian had never gotten sick while on his own. Or with his mom. It’s unrealistic, of course Varian has been sick before, but what if his mom had done the same as him? What if she refused to comfort him, refused to snuggle and wipe his snot? 

So despite every fibre of his being wanting to avoid getting infected, this was a losing battle. He grabbed the Flynn Rider book off its nightstand. They’d been blazing through each book; in the few months since Varian joined them they were now on book 6. 

“You’re just one crazy event after another, aren’t you?” Eugene hummed. He got a wet cough as a reply. Gross. 

-

Despite her words, Rapunzel couldn’t sleep. 

Every time she shut her eyes, visions of obsidian danced behind her eyelids, willing her hair upright. She couldn’t get them out of her head, and it really was no surprise why. It’s not everyday that your boyfriend’s son reveals that he can control the rocks that gave you back your 70 feet of hair! 

Back when it first grew back, she and Cassandra had scoured the library for any information they could, before finally getting some help from Xavier the blacksmith. He’s a good man, and he knew a lot about legends, but legends aren’t facts. Now, she wonders if the rocks were leading her to him, to Varian, and it was by sheer coincidence Eugene found him first. But she’d never say that out loud. Varian was destined to be Eugene’s son, even if he wasn’t born it. Maybe it was a sign that he was her son too. 

Three delicate knocks ring on the King’s Office’s door. “Dad, can I come in?” 

At his affirmation, she opened the door. Frederick, regal as ever, stood on one end of the table, with Quirin at another. Oh, she’d been meaning to speak to her dad in private, but it’s not a big deal! Right…?

Well, maybe it was. Despite her and Eugene and Cassandra all vowing to keep Varian’s ability a secret for now, lest magic-fearing Frederick find out, the point remained that she needed to speak to him about it. While Varian had taken up most of everyone’s time and energy, the rocks never vanished from her list of problems. No, they still lingered around Corona, causing problems left and right. And something told Rapunzel that Varian’s outburst from before didn’t help matters. 

“I was wondering about… the black rocks?” She started, and both men froze. A silent conversation occurred, shared in frantic, locked eyes. Quirin fidgeted helplessly, unsure of what the king wanted him to say. His eyes glanced down at the map where black flags pinpointed the locations of each rock spotted. While most were clustered in Old Corona, to the east, there were a few dotting the island capital. Rapunzel’s heart sank the longer she stared. 

Francis’ tailor shop.

The schoolhouse. 

The tunnel system. 

The alley where it all started.

Varian. 

She struggled to keep from screaming.

“I’ve been aware of these rocks for… quite some time now.” Frederick rested both hands on the diorama that encompassed much of the office. “They posed a real problem, displacing people from their homes, damaging roads…”

“Oh no,” she breathed. How much of it was intentional? How much of it was an accident? 

“But fortunately!” Frederick perked up, giving her an encouraging smile. “We’ve taken care of them! In fact, I’m sending Quirin to Old Corona tomorrow to make sure our efforts have succeeded.” 

“You are?” Quirin asked, confused. He got an elbow in the stomach. “I-I mean, yes, your highness, I’ll be headed out first thing tomorrow.”

She furrowed her brow, uncertain. Old Corona… so that was where Varian lived before the alley, before them. “Great, then I hope you don’t mind if I join you? I haven’t been out that way in a while, I’m sure the people would appreciate a visit.”

Frederick scowled, but before he could protest, Quirin hastily agreed. “O-of course, your highness, I would be honored for you to… accompany me.” He raised his eyebrows in a concerned smile, desperately trying to convey a silent question. Did Rapunzel know what he had seen? Is she trying to protect the child? Please oh please don’t force him to hurt a child to appease her father.

But alas, she didn’t seem to get the message. “Great, now if you excuse me, Varian isn’t feeling very well and Eugene needs a break.” She marched out of the room. The moment the door closed both men sagged in relief. 

“Sir,” Quirin managed. “You and I both know the rocks haven’t been dealt with-”

“Don’t let her see or learn a thing.”

The knight fell silent. “Yes sir,” he whispered, but for once, he didn’t mean it. 

-

Varian fell asleep relatively quickly, and thankfully it seemed more or less steady. So much so that Eugene was able to swap with Rapunzel without issue. 

“I spoke to my dad, I’m headed to Old Corona tomorrow,” she whispered. Her eyes were exhausted but full of fire. 

“How come?”

“It’s where  _ she _ lives.” 

Instantly, Eugene’s face fell. Right. The source of the fighting last night. 

Eugene had been adamant. He’d met Varian’s momma once before, and that was enough. She hated her kid, she abandoned her kid and didn’t complain once when Eugene whisked him away. But Rapunzel had insisted in truth above all else. If anyone knew what was going on, it’d be her. He knew deep down it was a losing argument, but the point remained that he promised to clock her next time she showed her face. 

“I’ll stay with him then. Hopefully this is just a 24 hour bug, I can’t do another day of this.” She smiled. It wasn’t the caring for a child wearing him down, that much was clear. 

“Go take a nap, I’ll hang with him,” she whispered. The words flowed over him like charmspeak, and next thing he knew, it was late afternoon and he was waking up in his own bed. 

He went to fetch some supplies. Nothing too much, just some pain medicine, towels, and cold water to soak them in. He’d probably also have to run a bath at some point, which Varian would despise. Much like Ruddiger, the child was happiest when covered in dirt and mud and soot.

It’s no wonder Varian adores the creature so much, he thinks with a chuckle. 

In fact, Eugene is so lost in his thoughts he doesn’t notice someone coming his way until he nearly spills the bowl onto the Captain. 

“Oh, shoot! Sorry Cap,” He winces, praying the man doesn’t try to kill him. He’s yelled over less. 

“Fitzherbert,” the man sighed. He looked peeved, but said nothing of it. “I was wondering why you didn’t turn up to training today.”

_ Shit _ ! He totally forgot to tell anyone that Varian was sick! Ears reddening, Eugene stuttered. “I-uh-yea, about that…”

The Captain raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. His face was impassive, but his eyes said it all. He’d better have a good explanation, or his ass was toast.

“Varianissickpleasedon’tkillme.” he braced himself for the smack.

“I get it.” And with that, all the air flew out of Eugene’s lungs. 

“Oh thank god, I was afraid you’d kill me.”

“Fair enough.”

Eugene shrugged, feeling uncomfortable. He and the Captain never really spoke about personal matters, it was strictly a business truce. But it appeared that was about to change. The older man put a hand on Eugene’s shoulder.

“Fitzherbert, I believe Cassandra told you about her own adoption story?”

“How you took her in, yea.”

“I was just like you, back then.” The man’s eyes are stern but kind. Eugene had seen it directed at others, but never him. 

“I hovered, and I worried about every little thing. They become the center of your world so fast, and you want to savor every moment. The first night with Cassandra, I never left her side, I just… sat there, and marveled at how something so small could be so important to me so quickly.” He gave the new father a weary smile. 

Eugene glanced down at the water, rapidly warming. Cogs turned in his brain as he thought of a proper response. 

Captain sighed. “Look, you said he’s sick?” Eugene nodded. “Then I’ll let it slide. Hope he gets well soon, for both of your sakes.”

That caused Eugene’s head to snap up. “What? I’m fine.”

“You’re missing your sass, Fitzherbert. Your color, your spice. You live for that kid, I can tell.” He let the man go, and walked off with a wave. “Hope he gets well soon. Oh, and bring him to training some time, eh?”

Eugene raised his hand in farewell, dumbfounded. The Captain had never been that…  _ nice _ to him. Ever. 

He didn’t ruminate on it for too long. He heard a faint cry from the end of the hall, where his son was. 

The door creaked open, revealing a sad sight. Varian tossed and turned in the bed, whimpering and hiccuping tiny sobs. His fists grasped light blue sheets, the same color as eyes which were currently closed. Rapunzel looked to him helplessly.

“Hey hey, bluebird,” Eugene cooed, sliding into the bed and pulling his darling boy into his arms. “Shh, you’re ok, you’re safe. Are you awake?”

Varian whimpered, and Eugene couldn’t tell if it was an affirmation or coincidence. The boy was a furnace, he could only imagine the pain and discomfort. Being sick was never fun, especially at that age. 

A more violent cry escaped small lips as Varian squirmed. 

“Varian?”

“Momma, it hurts…” 

Eugene’s heart plummeted into his stomach. He felt like he was going to vomit, and he wasn’t the sick one. Rapunzel stifled a gasp. Haunting memories of another mother resurfaced.

“H...hey, Varian,” her voice shook to high heavens. “Varian, it’s time to wake up.”

“Don’t wanna… no more.”

Oh lord, no more what? What did this woman do to her son?  _ Their _ son? Eugene buried his nose into Varian’s sweaty hair and Rapunzel wrapped her arms around them both, a familiar position for the family. His mind raced at light speed, trying not to let too many possibilities flood his mind. He was scaring himself, but he dreaded the real answer more.

Varian’s leg kicked out in his sleep, and a tear rolled down his cheek. 

“Oh, bud,” Eugene sighed, biting his lip. Usually it was Rapunzel who took charge of lullabies, but… 

“ _ Look to the stars... my darling baby boy... _ ” Almost like magic, Varian began to settle. His foot, which had been raised mid kick, landed softly on Rapunzel’s chest, the fuzzy socks pressing against his shirt. 

The blonde smiled and joined in. “ _ Life is strange and vast, filled with wonder and joy… _ ” As the furrow on Varian’s brow smoothed, Neither of them could help the overwhelming love that filled their souls. All directed at the boy in their arms. Even if he was a handful, and possibly, apparently, dangerous. 

Eugene laid Varian back down into bed, brushing unruly hair back. He repositioned so Rapunzel was resting against his chest as they sang in unison.

“ _ Face each new sun with eyes clear and true _ __  
_ Unafraid of the unknown _ _  
_ __ Because I’ll face it all with you. ”

Varian smiled in his sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhh it's 2 am I'm too tired to do my usual spiel remember to vote tomorrow if u can, comment, kudos, blood sacrifice, whichever u wanna give i aint picky. thank u i would die for u all


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel, Eugene, Cassandra, and Quirin travel to Old Corona. There, they learn about the past, in more than one way.  
> In which Quest for Varian is actually a quest about Varian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! Uh. I took the week off cuz my cat died but now we're back on track. Quest for Varian rewrite time!  
> This thing was a monster to hammer out, I kept rewriting scenes and dialogue and blah blah blah but IM HAPPY WITH IT!! A MAJOR thanks to Space-Butterflies and Finnoky for helping me with this!

Maximus’ footsteps trotted one after another, a steady beat in time with Rapunzel’s anxious heart. Cassandra sat by her side, unflinching as ever, but the storm in her eyes said more than enough. So did the bouncing of Eugene’s leg. It was clear as day: they were all terrified. 

“Old Corona is just over this hill,” Quirin muttered, slightly uncomfortable. 

He’d hoped that his words would soothe his companions but it only seemed to irk them more. Rapunzel let out a sharp inhale, biting her lip. A war raged within her mind. She didn’t want Quirin to know the truth; a part of her wanted nothing more than to protect the small child she’d come to see as her own. But it wasn’t fair. He’d been so confused when the princess showed up with grim company. 

She locked eyes with Eugene. He nodded, resolute yet anxious.

Gripping her dress, Rapunzel spoke up. “Quirin, I really appreciate you letting us come with… you should know that, the rocks, they’ve been… reacting. To me. And to a few other people.”

Quirin kept his face impassive but inwardly, he was letting out a massive sigh of relief. So it wasn’t just Varian, no, it was a few people! Thank goodness! He’d been hesitant to bring it up, to confirm that Varian had power over the rocks, but her words made it seem more like the rocks respond to strong emotions in general. And Varian was an emotional child, swinging from sweet to sour to sad. Of course the rocks would react to a child’s emotions, then. Thank goodness!

Never mind the fact that they never worked like that before.His previous theory was definitely wrong, there was no way Varian could have the moonstone! Even if he looked a lot like Ulla, with his big blue eyes and button nose, and he had her curiosity and penchant for mischief… 

The princess’s eyes wandered, trying to find words. “I thought you should know that… stop the cart!” She cried. Max jolted to a stop, nearly sending Cassandra crashing into Eugene. Clear as day, across the path, a single spike protruded from the earth. The party stepped out of the wagon to approach. 

“My dad told me all of the black rocks had been removed…” Rapunzel frowned. She went to brush a hand against it, but decided at the last second not to. There was no use in causing an explosion. All eyes turned to the knight, the apparent expert on the rocks. 

Quirin fidgeted uncomfortably. “We may have… missed one?” Truth be told, this rock wasn’t there last time he visited. And that was last week! How had the situation changed so much in such a short time? 

“Um…” Cassandra said, pointing to the village ahead. “Try one hundred.” 

Old Corona was covered in rocks from head to toe. Nearly everywhere you looked, a rock took up some of your vision. Each house had at least one spike cutting clean through it, and the whole village seemed duller, sucked of life. Bleak as winter, a shadow loomed over everything and blanketed it in eternal night.

“Do you think your father lied?” Cassandra asked. Quirin sucked in a harsh breath.

“No!” Rapunzel stressed. Her voice wavered, clearly unsure. “I trust my father, but he probably doesn’t know how bad it’s gotten.” She took one step forward, then another. Dead grass crunched underfoot. “Come on,” she mumbled.

With each new rock Eugene’s anxiety only grew. All angles were dangerous, each reflected beam of sunlight was dimmed by the obsidian rocks it bounced off of. He could feel his sanity slip like sand, each rock corresponding to a grain in an hourglass. On instinct, he reached out. Rapunzel was his rock, and she was his. They’d get through this together, figure it out side by side. But just in case, he caged her braid inbetween them. Hopefully that would prevent any disasters. 

“It’s the same story,” Quirin said sadly, brushing a hand across the rocks. His tattoo burned so hot he feared his glove would melt. “At first it’s just a few rocks… they’re a nuisance, but manageable. But then they keep growing, and growing, until the town is a maze,” he sighed. 

“And then the King comes and cleans it all up, right…?” Cassandra dared to ask, speaking aloud what Rapunzel feared. 

“...They’ve never been in Corona until now,” he managed. It would be his greatest challenge, sitting in the middle of two royals fighting. One, a King determined to keep his people from panic. Another, a princess who wanted answers. 

He wasn’t sure if either person would be satisfied by today’s end.

“They didn’t show up in Corona until… I did.” Rapunzel muttered. “There’s no question now, these rocks… they hold a secret, and, and somehow- we’re connected to it...” Her eyes shook as she was lost in memory. The use of _we_ was noticed by everyone; each member of the party glanced around to see if they’d made the connection, but no one spoke. 

“And maybe we’re… even responsible for it.” 

Eugene’s normally smiling and charming face filled with solemn grit. His voice deepened as he spoke. “What do we do now?”

“If I may,” Quirin cleared his throat and stepped forward. “I have an… old friend who researched the rocks a while ago. I entrusted her with a graphtyc that may have some answers.”

Princess and boyfriend locked eyes. That could only be one person...

“I’m sorry Eugene, I know you don’t want to be here. But we need to find that graphtyc, so that’s what we’re gonna do.” Rapunzel said.

At first the ex-thief was silent, and his face impassive. But slowly, it broke into the faintest of smiles as he grasped her hand. Their foreheads touched together briefly, and Rapunzel melted into his warmth. Their fight from the other night was still fresh in her mind, seeing as it was the only real fight they’ve ever had. Neither of them had been particularly _wrong_ , but they both knew it was time to put personal discomfort aside. 

For Varian.

For their son. 

Quirin and Cassandra stood to the side. When a figure rushed by, they both turned, catching nothing but the wind left in its wake. 

-

The walk to the house was quiet and tense. Each wrong step caused Rapunzel’s hair to light up like a beacon, and everyone would flinch in preparation of an explosion. Thankfully, nothing happened, and they eventually reached the manor. Out of all the houses, this one was in the worst shape. Every window had a cluster of spikes protruding from indoors. A piece of roof cracked and fell to their feet. One thing was clear: the house was on its last legs, wheezing for breath. 

Eugene’s feet felt stuck to the ground, unable to take another step further. Behind this door was, supposedly, Varian’s mother. She and Gothel tied for his least favorite people in the world, but he couldn’t help but also feel grateful. Oh how he wished Varian had a loving mother, but because he didn’t, it allowed them to meet, it allowed for Eugene to grow and love. 

Quirin knocked steadily. He took one deep breath, then another. 

The door crept open. Its hinges screamed and rang through the air. 

And there she was.

The best and worst thing of their lives.

“Ulla,” Quirin breathed, eyes softening. Her hair was askew, like it had been thrown up. Wild eyes scanned him up and down, before relaxing ever so slightly. 

“Were you followed?” She hissed. That earned a nervous glance between party members. Cassandra glanced back; now that she thought about it, she hadn’t even seen any villagers…

“It’s just us,” Quirin replied. “Listen, we need the graphtyc, you said you’d translate it, remember?”

“Oh I remember,” she drawled. Unimpressed eyes scanned the group. Distantly she recognized the princess, her hair was unmistakable, but then, her eyes widened. “You-!” 

Eugene’s eyes flashed. If it wasn’t for the fact that they needed her help, he’d punch her square in the face. “Yea, not thrilled to see you either, can you help us or not?”

The mood shifted instantly from uneasy to flat out hostile. Teal eyes glared through him as she searched for a fifth person who wasn’t there. And probably would never be there again. 

How unfortunate. After he left it’d been so calm… for a while, anyway. Their time apart gave her space to think up some new theories and tests, too bad they’ll never be utilized. Finally, she stepped aside to let everyone in. 

A shadow loomed over the wood.

Ulla turned her nose up as they entered her lab. It was cluttered with notes collecting dust and farm tools. “I will help Quirin, but not the rest of you.”

“Yeah, you’ve helped us enough.” Eugene’s words were biting, barely contained fury clear as day. It was only Rapunzel’s hand on his chest that kept him from springing forward and tearing her to pieces. 

Out of them, Quirin seemed to be the only one happy to see her. “Thank you, Ulla.”

She gave him the faintest of smiles, before her face turned impassive again. “I’ll take Quirin to get the graphtyc. Don’t touch anything… please.” The last word was tacked on solely because Rapunzel was there. The two elders vanished up rickety stairs. 

“So… this is Varian’s old home?” Cassandra’s eyes flicked to and fro. Dust laid claim to every surface. “Seems… about what I expected.”

To her left, Eugene hummed in agreement as he trailed a finger across the table. His eyes trailed over a few of her notes. Most of them were mundane, farm reports or apple science. “You know someone should sit this lady down and have a frank discussion about the importance of having an organized, clutter-free workspace.” Well, a frank discussion about a lot of things. But that’s a good place to start. A nice, simple conversation not about Varian that wouldn’t end in a screaming match and/or murder. 

But murder was still on the table. 

Especially when Rapunzel, curious, foolish Rapunzel, couldn’t help herself. In the far corner, covered in dust, sat what looked like an invention covered by a tarp. Hesitantly, with bare feet tapping against stone, the dust irritating her nose and the smell of it thick in the air, she unveiled the invention. 

A chair, with shackles. 

Tiny, child-sized shackles. 

She let out an agonized cry and stumbled back into Eugene’s arms. It was like a hole had been punched in her chest. So this is what Varian meant when he said _no more_ …

“We shouldn’t have come here. We should’ve stayed in the castle where we were a happy family.” She whispered, clutching tight to Eugene’s vest. 

“Come on, Raps, you don’t mean that,” Cassandra soothed. She sent Eugene a helpless glance. Regardless of how the chair was used, the implications were agonizing. 

As much as Eugene wanted the satisfaction that he was right, that she was agreeing with him, he knew deep down that it wasn’t true. 

“Sunshine,” he mumbled. “I know what I said before about forgetting all this, and never speaking to… her, but this,” his eyes drifted to the window, from which a massive rock extended. “Is way, way worse than I or anyone else imagined, and one thing has become clear.” He brushes a strand of hair from her face. “People are in danger. A _lot_ of danger. Not just from the rocks. And the Rapunzel I know was never one to run and hide from a fight.”

No sooner had those words been spoken, the door burst open. 

-

“Is there a reason you wanted to speak to just me?” Quirin asked as soon as they walked up the stairs. “It’s rude to leave her highness alone.”

Ulla scoffed. “She’s not alone, she's with the thief.” Her words were sharp as the rocks she studied. 

Thief? Well sure, he used to be, but most people looked past that by now. He’d seen firsthand how Eugene went from a castle annoyance to maids crowding him with gossip and parenting advice. 

“You mean how he was Flynn Rider? I can assure you, he’s a very nice young man-”

“A nice young man who is harboring a _disappointment_!” 

The silence rang like a funeral bell. Quirin’s face dropped to neutral. God did Ulla hate when he did that; he was impossible to read. Finally, he spoke. “So it’s true. He’s yours, isn’t he? He’s… he’s the moonstone.” It was finality, the sealing of a child’s coffin. It also earned him a frustrated eye roll.

Ulla turned to her bookshelf. Let’s see… which book is it again…? “He’s not the moon _stone_ , he’s the moon _drop_. Crucial difference.”

“That being…?”

“You can’t manipulate or control it the way you can the moonstone.” Quirin couldn’t help but flinch at her word choice. “The translated incantations will only work if _he_ says them. Which renders him useless to me.”

 _More like useless to her plans,_ Quirin thought dryly. “So you abandoned him.” 

“He’s an experiment gone wrong. Nothing to do but scrap it and start over.” She smirked at how the man paled at those words. Finally, her fingers brushed across the book. She opened it to reveal a shining scroll case. It felt bittersweet to see so many hours of work be handed over to Quirin, but what can you do? They spent a whole year together, collecting the pieces of the scroll for translation, trying to solve the mystery and destroy the moonstone. Only fair that he gets to see their hard work completed. 

Quirin’s hand brushed against the graphtyc… but then froze. Wait. That didn’t make any sense. “Ulla... he can control the rocks…” 

“What?” It was like a bullet had gone off, Ulla’s ears were ringing that loud. That… that little brat! How long could he control his magic? Did he send these recent rocks to her… to mock her? Did he just _enjoy_ causing her misery!? 

She schooled her face back to impassive, though the cogs in her brain were already off to the races. New theories, new experiments, if she only had a little more time with him…!

Teal eyes batted up at Quirin, who stood awkwardly under her intense gaze. 

She opened her mouth.

-

From the splintered doorway, a large man stepped forward. His face was hidden behind a masked helmet, a black cloak trailing his red coat. He held out a gloved hand. “Hand over the graphtyc.”

Eugene growled, stepping in front of Rapunzel and shielding her. “Who is that?” 

“Doesn’t matter, I got him!” Cassandra cried. She charged at the man, skidding under his legs up and around him. She grabbed his staff and pinned it against his neck. The man huffed, grunting against her weight, before throwing himself forward and sending Cassandra flying. She landed on the table with a _thud_ , sending notes and chemicals every which way. One chemical turned to goo the moment it hit the floor, trapping papers underneath.

Aha!

Rapunzel grabbed a spare of it, and with all her might threw it at the attacker. In a flash of pink smoke the man’s legs were trapped in place. 

“Go go go!” Eugene cried, grabbing Cassandra off the floor.

“What about Quirin!?”

“No time! He’ll just have to catch up!” 

The door to the house flew open with a _bang_ , nearly shattering as they ran past. Each rock lit up a vibrant blue the same color as Varian’s hairstripe whenever Rapunzel ran past. 

“I don’t know how long we’ll have before that guy breaks out, but-” Rapunzel’s voice was cut off, gasping as a masked man stood on the other side of the rocks. How…? 

“Clearly not long!” Eugene cries, and they turn, only to come face to face with the same mask. “How fast is this guy?” Finally, they break out of the rocks, outside the village. With huffing breaths, the party came face to face with several identically dressed men; the masks crowd them, filling their very bones with dread. “Oh, that explains it.” 

“Hand over the graphtyc,” the chant is repeated over and over, each man taking a turn to say it. Never mind the fact that they didn’t even _have_ the damn thing because Ulla wanted to speak to Quirin about god knows what.

Not a moment later than the thought had come and gone, Quirin manifested from behind the Princess. His large, hulking form easily towered over the men, and it took only a few punches for each masked man to topple. 

A neigh bounced around the clearing, its sound ricocheting off rocks, and Max galloped in carrying a frying pan in his mouth. Combined, the two defeated the small battalion in under a minute, before the young adults even had to lift a finger. 

“Sorry,” Quirin whispered to one of the guards before knocking him to the ground. 

“Max! Quirin! Oh you couldn’t have come a second sooner!” Rapunzel gasped as she and the others ran over. It was a tight fit to get them all on Max, but he was a big horse, and Rapunzel could sit on Eugene’s lap if needed. 

“Do you have it?” The princess’s eyes lit up when Quirin produced a small trinket. “These guys want whatever that is pretty badly,” it was an odd game of telephone as Quirin handed it down Max and to Rapunzel. “And something tells me we won’t make it back to the castle.” 

Quirin opened his mouth to argue, but Eugene cut him off. “She’s right! We need somewhere to hide and come up with a plan.”

“No, I don’t think we really need to-”

“I know just the place!” Rapunzel spurred Max faster as Quirin sighed in defeat. 

-

It wasn’t a far ride, just a trip down a cliff and then some, but soon enough they were at a small alcove covered in vines. 

“Man, this is terrible.” Eugene muttered to himself.

“I know,” Cassandra sighed. “Those men are following us.”

“No, I was talking about my vest. But yeah, that’s bad too. Rapunzel, are you sure this place is safe?”

She snorted. Safe? Hidden? This place was the most hidden spot in all of Corona for 18 years. “I’m surprised you don’t recognize this place!” With a flourish, the vines peeled back, and she faltered. “Actually… I’m not sure I recognize it either.” 

Her tower. The place she once called home. Now surrounded by spikes.

Night falls, and with it comes a moment of reprieve. Eugene gladly gave Max a tour of the tower; well, as much of a tour as he could. “And this is where I died!” He said, proudly pointing to a spot of blood on the floor.

With a jolt, Rapunzel recalled an incident from the other day. Eugene had told Varian a watered down story of how they met, and where Rapunzel’s hair came from. The toddler had been so upset to hear that Rapunzel had been locked away for so long… was his anguish subconsciously causing rocks to appear in places he’d never been? 

The other three humans sat together, fidgeting with the graphtyc. “It sounds like there’s something inside…?” Rapunzel held it up to Cassandra’s ear. They both glanced over to Quirin, who opened it with a _crack_. Inside sat an unassuming piece of paper. Or rather, it was unassuming until he pulled it out.

The scroll was torn in half, with only two columns visible; one had a sun dripping down onto a flower, the other, a moon onto rocks. Strange characters covered the columns, with fresh pencil markings scribbling all around them. 

But before Quirin could explain, Eugene cried out from where he stood at the window. “Guys… we have a problem. Or rather, many problems. Masked problems.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding!” Rapunzel gasped. “How on earth did they find us!?” A fire lit in her eyes, the likes of which her father had tried to smother earlier in the week. “These guys just ticked off the wrong princess. I came here for answers, for a solution, and by god we are going to get it!” 

Quirin rubbed his shoulder, trying to hide his flinch at the word _solution_. “What will you do, your highness?” 

She didn’t respond at first. Instead, she stalked forward, letting her braid fall loose. “I’m letting down my hair.” The intensity of her voice took them all off guard; Eugene hadn’t heard her that angry in a long time, not even during their fight. 

It was the righteous anger of a protective mother. 

Her hair brushed against a spike, causing it to glow brighter and brighter, even more than the stars in the sky, then the moon, and even the sun. A shockwave sent the masked men flying away, their backs hitting cliff walls. Quirin had to grip onto the tower windowsill in order to stay upright; Cassandra and Eugene weren’t as lucky and were thrown backwards. 

Then, as fast as it started, it stopped. All was quiet, all was still.

_Elsewhere, a small child fell to the ground as a blinding headache racked his skull. He shrieked, startling his babysitters._

A new rock sprouted. Then another. Black obsidian punctured the tower. Before they could even try to escape the rocks grew up through the stairwell leading outside. 

“Up there!” Cassandra cried, pointing to the skylight. “That’s the only way out!” 

With one massive throw, Rapunzel formed a rope for everyone to climb, onto the roof and into the night.

“I don’t understand… I thought you said this was dealt with?” Rapunzel bemoaned to Quirin. He winced. On the one hand, _he_ never said anything, her father did. On the other hand…

“It wasn’t like this when I visited last. There were a few rocks, but-”

“Hang on, you lied to us? You were lying this whole time!?” Cassandra butt in, eyebrow raised. She wasn’t nearly as matronly as Rapunzel, if she had it her way Varian would’ve been shipped off to an orphanage, but she was still fond of the little tyke, and she sure as hell didn’t want him blamed for this mess. 

“Well, yes, but-”

“And what happens when the village is overrun? You never finished that story from earlier!” Eugene added. “Is this it? It chases everyone out?” 

“Can we maybe discuss this on land!?” The man cried. There were more important things, like not getting impaled as the tower roof collapsed! 

Blue glow now shone in tandem with the yellow of Rapunzel’s hair. She frowned, weighing her options. “Guys, there’s only one way down. I think I have a way out, but it’s a little crazy, so you’re just gonna have to trust me!” 

Eugene flinched, grabbing her hand anxiously. He had no idea if he could trust her, even though he loved her dearly. He needed to live, now more than ever! He needed to keep his son safe! If these men were after them just for the graphtyc, imagine if they found out about Varian! 

The tower buckled, sending them all into a heap. Never mind, not the time to debate! “Uh sure, let’s go for it. I’m up for anything at this point.”

With that, in tandem, they all lept off the tower as a glowing sphere that rivalled the sun engulfed them, a sea of gold soft as a pillow yet strong as a diamond.

The ground was soft at their feet. 

“Are we all seeing this? Is that new!?” Cassandra laughed, ecstatic that they survived. But Rapunzel paid her no heed. She could only watch as her first home crumbled and shattered before her eyes. Dust flew in every direction. A deep, wicked part of her wanted to run home and yell at Varian, blame him for her loss. But she couldn’t. He was a child, and she’d be no better than Ulla. 

Besides, he and Eugene were her home now. 

That didn’t stop her from shedding a tear, though. 

Eugene placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you ok?” She shook her head, and wrapped him up in an embrace. “I will be.”

“Uh guys?” Cassandra said. “Look.”

From the wreckage, the masked men slowly shook themselves out. Only, they were not masked anymore. One man’s helmet laid shattered beyond use as he slowly lifted his head up. 

Cassandra’s eyes widened. “Pete?” she gasped. A quick glance around showed that all of them, slowly standing up, were members of the guard. 

“Princess, forgive us…” Pete said. “We had orders to recover the scroll before you.”

Her eyes narrowed into slits. “From who?” 

The man hesitated. Then slowly, a shaking finger pointed behind her… to Quirin. 

-

“Quirin,” Ulla said. “You know we weren’t able to recover half of the incantations. The one to control the rocks is still lost.”

“Because Adira still won’t tell me where it is, yes,” He grumbled. She had never been a fan of his methods, and now he could see why. 

“But we can still control them, stop them… as a family.” His eyes shot up to Ulla’s smile. She seemed almost peaceful, if he didn’t know her true nature. 

“A family…?”

Her laugh was that of a funeral gong. “Be reasonable Quirin. Who do you think Varian’s father is?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this house we stan himbo Quirin  
> PLEASE if you enjoy this fic leave a comment and kudos!! It gives me the strength to keep going. And to not focus on my schoolwork haha im a grade below average rip. Don't worry Varian's in the next chapter


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where was Varian last chapter? And the fallout of last chapter, while we're at it. Varian gets babysat, The trio learns the truth about Varian's powers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh oh final stretch time! Big thanks to Space-butterflies for beta reading ilu <3 Uhhh this chapter is kinda all over but then again so am I! Mentally. So whatever.

Frederick shifted awkwardly, trying not to make eye contact. At his side, Arianna tried desperately to hold in her laughter but failed. At least one of them was excited about today. 

He supposed he should’ve seen it coming, what with Rapunzel running off to Old Corona. Quirin assured him he’d spoken to some guards who were willing to help him, but neither of them had predicted Eugene and Cassandra to join her. Though they really should have. The point is that his daughter dropped Varian off in the throne room, asked her parents to babysit, and vanished before they could protest.

So. Here they are. Varian sat on Arianna’s lap while they worked. For the most part, he was well behaved, watching as Frederick saw citizens and made decrees. He was also only half awake at the time, however, and now that he was waking up he began to grow restless. 

“What’s he doing?” Varian whispered to Arianna, curiosity filling his eyes. She couldn’t help but melt at those puppy dog eyes. Frederick… not so much. He didn’t hate Varian, rather he hated what he stood for. Rapunzel grew up without them, and now she was a young adult. Not just that, but a mother figure to the little boy. It felt so strange, to go from childless to mother to grandmother in under a year, but Arianna was going to spoil Varian the way Rapunzel never was. 

“Right now he’s signing an order,” she said. “It’s our job to make the laws and ensure they’re being executed fairly.”

“What’s a law?”

Frederick hummed from where he was reading over a paper. “It’s what’s right and wrong, we make an… announcement. The law keeps you safe and those that break the law go to jail.” 

“So wait…” Varian squirmed down out of Arianna’s arms and stood in front of Frederick’s throne. The king peered down at him from over his parchment. “You decide what’s right and wrong? No one else?”

Frederick furrowed his brow at the statement. Of course a street child would be uneasy about lawmaking. He likely had to dodge guards when stealing to survive, and lord knows what his parents were up to before Eugene found him. 

“Well…” Frederick’s face flushed with anxiety. How do you explain the intricacies of being a ruler? Suddenly, an idea sprung to life. He could tell it showed on his face, and bless his wife, she knew exactly what he was thinking.

He glanced down at Varian before he could see her make an  _ abort _ signal by cutting her hand across her neck. 

The King lifted Varian up from the ground and swapped places with him so that Varian was sitting on the throne. “Why don’t you try? Be king for a moment!” 

The throne was plush, even softer than Varian’s bed or even Ruddiger’s fur, and he ran his fingers across the seat in wonder. He repositioned himself so he was seated how Frederick always sat: one hand on each armrest, his feet dangling down. 

The court watched with bated breath, curious as to what Varian would do. Perhaps he could prove himself a natural born leader…?

Varian briefly hesitated. “I can make… any rule…?”

Sensing a foreboding aura, Frederick was quick to backtrack. He held up a finger. “Well, in theory yes, but a good King doesn’t make any law without advice.”

The child’s shy smile morphed into a nigh maniacal grin. His eyes were a fire, and Frederick a match. He pulled out his stuffed raccoon who he’d affectionately named Stuffed Ruddiger, or Stuffy. “Stuffy will be my… advice person!”

“Counsel,” Arianna supplied.

“Yes, thank you, my queen!” She hid a giggle behind her hand at the sight of her husband’s bewildered expression. 

“Now, for my first law!” He stood up on the throne. The guards stationed by the door stood at rapt attention; this was the most interesting thing to happen on duty all week. “Stuffy, what do you think?” He pressed the plush up to his ear, nuzzling into its soft fabric. It smelled faintly of detergent and Rapunzel’s shampoo. “Mhm. Mhm.” Frederick watches as Varian’s eyes hunger for chaos, starving for power. This child truly was Eugene’s kid with his penchant for chaos, mixed with Rapunzel’s determination, and a terrifyingly unique intellect. Lord help anyone who betrays or angers him. if Varian ever decided to try and conquer Corona when he was older, Frederick had no doubt he would succeed. 

“I hereby decree… I have no bedtime! And I can sleep in as late as I want!” 

“Absolutely not, young man. You need a schedule.” Frederick insisted. 

“You’re not my dad!” Varian huffed.

“Maybe not, but I am King, and what I say goes.”

“Uh, dear,” Arianna butt in, an amused smile on her face. “I do believe you said Varian was king at the moment.” His face turned to that of horror.

“Yea!” Varian pointed a stubby finger at the man. “You’re under arrest for impersonating the king!” 

He sputtered. “How do you know that that’s a law!?”

“Eugene told me all the laws he broke to get me to sleep once.” Yea, that sounded about right. What wasn’t right was that the guards actually took Frederick by the arms. 

“Um, what are you doing?” He asked. One of the guards in question… Sam, was it? Didn’t look guilty in the slightest. 

“Arresting you at the order of the king, your majesty.” He smiled pleasantly, and Arianna choked on her wheezing breath. 

“Are you serious!?” Frederick cried. He didn’t fight back, he knew the men were trained well beyond his ability to fight back. “Varian, I will be telling your father about this!” He cried as he was led out.

Varian gasped in horror. Oh no, would Eugene be mad about it!? Actually, when he thought about it, probably not. Frederick seemed to be the only one upset in this scenario, everyone else was amused. 

He glanced over at Arianna. “Now what?”

Arianna hummed. “Why don’t you go find the Captain, sweetie? I gotta fill in for Mr. Imposter now.” 

-

The Captain fidgeted, unused to the weight in his arms. It had been a long while since his own child was this small, after all.

Not that the Captain particularly minded! He’d watched from afar as Eugene rapidly matured from ex-thief to devoted lover and father, so he was willing to babysit just this once. Plus Varian was just the cutest little boy. 

“What’s that?” he asked, pointing to where the guards were training.

“What? The wall?” The Captain responded.

“No,  _ that _ ,” Varian pointed to an innocent-looking chalkboard. It was covered in doodles from Eugene and his friend Lance, who was off doing god-knows-what today. 

“That’s what your dad teaches. How to catch criminals.” 

Varian frowned, confused. “Why?” His dad seemed good at it, considering he caught Varian way back when, and Varian liked to think he’d been a good thief! Well, as good as any 4-year-old could be. 

The Captain stared back blankly. Did… did Varian not know what his dad was? Or rather, once was? He cleared his throat. “Well… to catch a thief, you have to think like a thief. And your dad is… good at thinking like a thief! So he pretends to be one, and it’s our job to catch him.” Varian listened with rapt attention, eyes full of wonder. He missed when Cassandra looked at him like that. Then, Varian gasped, as if overcome with a wonderful idea. 

“Can I try?” He asked, bouncing in the man’s arms. Surely if Eugene could do it, so could he! Plus, he used to be a thief! Surely that means he thinks like a thief, right? Maybe then he could be like him one day!

The Captain laughed incredulously. “You wanna be the thief?” He got a rapid head nod in response. Well, surely it wouldn’t hurt. His men would have to be delicate, careful not to hurt him… a good dexterity challenge… Eugene wouldn’t mind, would he? Probably not, the man got a big kick out of Varian’s antics. On more than one occasion he’d caught Eugene laughing while Nigel chased Varian around. 

“The game is simple… Varian here will be holding onto this cookie jar,” The captain handed over a small porcelain jar. It didn’t have many cookies inside, he didn’t want a sick kid on his hands. “Your job is to catch him before he eats them all.” The guards shifted awkwardly. It was one thing when it was Eugene and Lance, but another when it was the castle’s resident child. 

The first few days after Varian came home were… honestly the best gossip palace staff had had in years. The King had flipped out! The princess just came home, now she’s a mother! Flynn Rider stole a child! 

Eugene had brought him home just a day or two after he started teaching, so Captain at first thought he was slacking when he stopped showing. Plus Varian had still been spooked by guards, so they’d avoided most of the staff in general. It all culminated when the Captain barged in on Eugene putting Varian to bed. Poor thing had gotten so spooked he burst into tears. Ever since then, the Captain had made it his mission to befriend Varian.

Suffice to say, he was much more successful than the King.

The Captain called out “Ready?” to his men, who all reluctantly shifted into position. The little boy gripped on tight to the jar; he didn’t want to drop it! Then all the cookies would be ruined, and so would the game!

“Go!” Like a shot from a cannon, a group of soldiers all charged at Varian, who let out a squeak and took off towards the palace. He’d only been on the street for a few months, but he knew how to sneak food as he ran. That way, there wouldn’t be any evidence of his thievery. He brushed past amused maids who the guards couldn’t maneuver so easily around. There was a telltale sound of cursing and a  _ thunk _ ; someone had just run into a wall. 

Varian pulled out the first of his prizes. This was gonna be so easy! 

The guards may have been bigger than him, but Varian was fast, and a damn good listener. He’d spent hours listening through Corona’s capital for his momma’s voice, trying to discern who was coming towards his alley hideout. And while he’d never gotten in trouble with the guards, what with being a toddler, he’d seen thieves get arrested dozens of times. He knew what to do purely by osmosis. 

A few guards closed in on him, one on each side, and for a brief moment, Varian thought he was done for. 

_ Golden hair trailing down a tower. _

_ Black rocks shooting through support beams. _

A splitting headache reared its ugly head, hammering a knife into his skull. Varian dropped the jar with a shriek, covering his head as he begged for something, anything to end the pain! The guards winced as well, and were quick to pick him up and hold him. He whimpered as the pain shot through his head.

Then, just as sudden as it appeared, it was gone.

He blinked once, twice. And then leapt out of the guard’s arms. He grabbed his jar and kept moving.

“Wha- the little monster tricked me!” He could hear the guard cry out while his partner laughed. 

Tiny feet slowed down a bit, listening for heavy footsteps. Sure enough, clanking grew closer and closer. Varian munched on another cookie, waiting, waiting, waiting…

He zoomed forward just as a guard pounced. He groaned in pain. This exercise was supposed to be about subtle, careful movements, not hurting anyone. Well, not hurting Varian. The guards were getting hurt fine. At least Varian seemed entertained, giggling at the guard sprawled on the floor. 

“You got me good, kid, just like your dad.” Varian seemed to brighten at that, offering the man on the floor a cookie which he accepted with dignity. 

Varian showed off his signature buck toothed grin. “Good, cuz I wanna stay with him forever and learn how to be just like him!” 

“Oh yea?” A voice said from behind him, and Varian whirled around to find himself face to face with the Captain. He reached for Varian’s middle, prompting a shriek of delight. Oh, he was good! Varian was so focused on talking to the nice floor man he didn’t even hear him! 

The little child dodged at the last moment, running through the Captain’s legs. He could hear the man laugh raucously at his daring nature as he fled. 

He ran and ran, through halls and down corridors, until he began to hear footsteps and voices again. But these weren’t just any voices! 

Completely forgetting the game, Varian raced over to the doorway from which the voices came from, and sure enough, Quirin, Cassandra, Eugene, and Rapunzel were standing together, arguing. 

“I cannot believe you!” Rapunzel hissed, pacing around the room. Quirin looked resolute, a grim determination stretched across his face. 

He regretted nothing. At first he’d been unsure, unwilling to go along with Frederick’s plans and turn Rapunzel around, but then Ulla had dropped that bombshell, and he couldn’t sit idly by any longer. Not when a solution was finally within reach, one that would satisfy both halves of his warring mind. 

“Forgive me Princess, I was just doing what your father asked.”

“What, he asked you to lie?” Cassandra crossed her arms. 

Quirin frowned. “Well, not exactly. It is true that we are doing something about the rocks, just… something that isn’t finished yet.”

“So, what is it?” Eugene pressed. “And what does it have to do with that scroll? You know, the one we almost died to get?” 

Carefully, Quirin unrolled the parchment. It was split down the middle, but covered in magnificent runes and art. The sun and moon sat up top, dripping onto a flower and castle, respectfully. 

Eugene rolled his eyes. “Wow. All that for a doodle and some gibberish.” 

“Not gibberish.” Quirin chided. He understood Eugene was impatient and wanted to protect his son (no, not Eugene’s son, Quirin’s son), but that attitude was uncalled for. “Incantations. Ancient knowledge about the sundrop and moondrop.”

“Incantations...?” Rapunzel breathed. Her fingers brushed over the flower drawing. “What kind?” 

“Well, the first being the healing incantation. From what I’ve been told, you know that one a little too well.” He glanced up into the princess’s nervous green eyes, then trailing down to her hair. He continued, “The other being for… terrible things.”

“That being?” Cassandra asked. 

“Think, what is the opposite of healing? The sundrop gives life, and the moondrop… takes it.”

An uneasy silence fell over the trio. Eugene whistled a low, nervous tone. 

From his spot in the doorway, Varian whimpered. 

“My colleague is more knowledgeable on this, but...” the knight took a deep breath. “Millennium ago, a phenomenal event had divided an ancient power in two. The Sundrop and Moondrop fell to Earth; two elements waiting to be reunited. Anyone who wielded them could harness these incantations.” Rapunzel gripped her hair in comfort, mind going back to her tower. 

“While your hair is the manifestation of the sundrop, the same can be said about the rocks. I was once a member of an organization, and our job was to protect the world from that which could wield their destructive power.”

“You mean… the source of the rocks…?” Quirin nodded at the question. 

“The source of the rocks, and the only thing capable of using this decay spell… the moonstone.” His gaze hardened. “Once like the sunflower, a singular entity anyone could harness. But it now inhabits a living being, just like you, your highness.” 

“Varian,” Eugene whispered.

“Me.” Varian added. 

The toddler felt tears prick in the corners of his eyes. He didn’t want to hear anymore! Now Eugene knew how much of a danger he was, how bad he was! He’d thought without momma it wouldn’t be a problem anymore, but no, everywhere he went, he was doomed to spread death and decay, according to that paper. 

He didn’t want to hurt anyone! He didn’t want to hurt Eugene! 

There was only way to keep his family safe, to keep  _ himself  _ safe. His momma had been right to abandon him in the alley, that was the longest he’d ever gone without accidentally damaging something or someone with the rocks! And apparently he couldn’t just use the rocks, he could decay, what did that mean… opposite of healing…

_ He could kill Eugene on accident. _

That was the final straw. 

He ran. 

Out of the castle. 

Out of the garden.

Into the capital and beyond.

He didn’t look at where he was going or for how long, he just kept running, and running and running…

Until he bumped into someone.

-

“I don’t understand,” Rapunzel whispered, distraught. “You were supposed to keep the moonstone safe, but you failed? Why are you telling us this?”

Quirin had the decency to look guilty. “Varian inheriting the moonstone and becoming the moondrop was an accident. But rest assured, his mother and I are resuming custody to take care of it.”

It was if all the air was sucked out of the room. “What did you just say?” Eugene whispered, daring him to speak again.

Quirin glared down at the man. “You have done your best, but it is time for the Brotherhood to complete its purpose. We will destroy the moonstone without hurting Varian. Ulla and I, as his parents, will take care of him.”

“You’re his father!?” Cassandra gasped.

“That woman is insane! Don’t you dare let her near him!” Rapunzel shrieked, the full fury of a Queen directed at Quirin. 

Eugene grabbed Quirin’s vest and pulled him close. “If you so much as touch a hair on his head…” he growled.

“I am his father, not you. You no longer get a say.” the ex-thief’s face fell into horror and fury.

“No.” he growled. “I’m the one who took Varian in when his mother kicked him in front of me. I’m the one who’s held him after nightmares! I’m the one who’s promised him over and over that he is safe from people like  _ you!”  _ He raised his fist to strike Quirin, but suddenly found his hands being pulled behind him. He threw his head back, wildly trying to make sense of what happened, and spotted the Captain gripping his wrists with the King in the doorway. 

“Dad!” Rapunzel cried, flustered and outraged. “Are you hearing this!?”

“I am.” The King’s tone was cold. He wasn’t on their side, Rapunzel realized. In his eyes, this was the same scenario as her own kidnapping. And this time, he wouldn’t let the kidnappers go unpunished. Frederick raised his hands, and a few more guards entered to restrain the trio.

Quirin directed his voice towards Rapunzel. “I’m sorry, your highness, but your father tasked me with saving Corona from the rocks. This is the only way. Ulla has likely already come to collect him.”

“And from the sounds of it, he made the right call. You  _ stole _ him from his mother?” Frederick had the gall to look shocked at Eugene’s words. 

“SHE HURT HIM!” He yelled, thrashing in the Captain’s grip. “VARIAN, VARIAN WHERE ARE YOU?!” 

“Come on, son, don’t make this any harder than it has to be,” The Captain whispered, locking shackles around his wrists. 

“How can any of you be ok with this!?” Cassandra yelled from where a guard held her arm tightly. “You’re sending him to his death! We’ve seen what Ulla will do to him!”

“Dad,” Rapunzel begged. “Please, don’t do this.”

The King shook his head. “You wanted to remove the black rocks, Rapunzel? This is the only way.” He nodded to the Captain, who with reluctance dragged the fellow father down to the dungeons.

“VARIAN!” Eugene screamed, fighting every step of the way. It was a far cry from the last arrest, the other man noticed sadly. 

At last, they reached his cell, the same one he’d been trapped in with Cassandra. The doors closed with a thud.

Eugene collapsed against the bars and screamed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *flosses*  
> Leave a comment if you have any thoughts or wanna scream at me! Thanks again for everyone's support!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quirin and Ulla's story. Varian comes home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit short (weird how 2.5k words is short for this fic) but eh I like how it is now! And that's all that matters! Big thanks to AJ and Finn for help on this one! And to all of you, the reaction to the last chapter was. amazing. Truly a blast.

Quirin grunted as his feet dug into the earth. These bandits weren’t very tough, but there were far too many of them. Clearly these ruffians all belonged to a gang or crime syndicate.

“Leave me be, boys, and I won’t leave you all to the wolves,” Quirin tried to reason with them, but they were beyond it. They just wanted his armor, his sword, and his graphtyc. And he sure as hell wasn’t going to give any of it. 

A weaselly man snickered from where Quirin had knocked him into a tree. “If only you’d just let us rob you, this wouldn’t be so hard!” He called. Six men surrounded Quirin on all sides. He gripped his sword tighter, ready for the first strike. 

It never came. 

Instead, a smoke cloud enveloped them all. The bandits coughed and hacked, while Quirin just blinked in confusion. If that had come from the bandits, they clearly weren’t ready for it. 

From out of the smoke a figure jumped into the fray. She wore a teal dress with capped sleeves, and a dirty apron covered in years of experiments. Hair that should’ve been tied back hung loosely around her face, framing it nicely. 

“Scram!” She screeched, the voice of a vulture in the body of a demon. “All of you! Git, leave him alone! Or these bombs will be more than just smoke!” To Quirin’s shock, her threat worked. The weaselly man paled at her appearance and scrambled upright. 

“Go go go!” He barked, and the bandits all made a hasty retreat. How odd, were they afraid of this woman? She barely even reached his chest and yet she made her enemies tremble. Either they had met her before, or heard stories of her. Regardless, he was now very intrigued. 

She turned to him, her hair nearly hitting him in the face. “You’re welcome.” 

“I was fine,” he said dumbly. Her pout told him that was the wrong answer. “But… thank you.” Like a puppy she perked back up. “Quirin,” he held out a hand. She took it readily.

“Ulla.”

-

“Momma…?” Varian whimpered, backing up to a tree. He hadn’t seen her since that fateful day. The day he lost one family and gained a new one, a better one. 

“Hello, moondrop,” She cooed, stepping forward until he couldn’t escape. Her face was neutral and displayed no emotion, yet her words were flowery and soft. “Did you miss me?”

In all honestly… not really. He missed her warmth, her rare smile, sure, but he didn’t miss the experiments, or the scoldings, or the quiet. But he knew she was not to be angered. A wrong answer meant disappointment. “Mhm.” He managed, and her eyes glinted hungrily. He used to think that look was love, but he knows better now. It was nothing like Eugene or Rapunzel. 

The hunger intensified. “Good, good. Come along now, it’s time to go home.” Varian shook his head, much to her annoyance. “Come on now, Varian. Don’t be difficult. Surely that... thief taught you better than that?” She huffed at his silence. “I guess we’re back to square one, then. No matter. Your father will surely help set you straight.”

At her words Varian froze. What did she mean by father? First she called Eugene a thief and now he’s his dad? In fact, he was so confused he didn’t register being scooped up. It was only when he saw the castle getting smaller did he realize what was happening. 

“No!!” He cried, squirming violently. A small black spike punctured the earth near Ulla’s feet, just large enough for Varian to grab on to. He used it to try and pull free from her grip, but to no avail. Instead it was a tug of war, mother and son; one trying to hold on, the other wanting to be let go.

“So you  _ can _ control them.” Oh no, she was mad. Mad meant more experiments, mad meant going to bed hungry and cold. 

“No, I can’t!” He insisted. 

“Don’t lie to me, the proof is in front of me! I am the greatest scientific mind in Corona!” She grunted and yanked Varian so hard he lost his grip on his rock. He whimpered at the loss. “Your father will meet us at home, and we’re getting this over with, once and for all.” Her voice darkened so much on the last line Varian could’ve mistaken her for one of the Stabbingtons. 

“Daddy won’t like it,” Varian mumbles. “He doesn’t like when I talk about you, you know.”

“Not that thief, Varian, don’t be stupid. Your father, the man who created you.” Honestly, the nerve of that thief! Telling Varian he was his father when the real father was ten times the man he’d ever be. 

“Noooo!” Varian screeched, his tone rattling Ulla’s eardrums. She’d always hated his tantrums; no, that’s not it. She’s always hated kids his age in general. Nonetheless, she continued the march home. No matter how hard Varian squirmed, no matter how many black rocks followed them, she would not falter. Not when she was so painfully close.

-

The fire roared defeaningly between them, yet the silence felt louder. 

Quirin stared into its embers, mind whirring. He’d gone so long without a friend, anyone to talk to, that it was awkward now. The last companion he’d had… gosh, it must’ve been back when he, Hector, and Adira still lived in the Dark Kingdom. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came; his vocal chords froze everytime he looked up and saw her face framed by firelight. 

“So…” Ulla spoke up, and Quirin startled. “You’re an awfully long way from home, aren’t you?”

His brow furrowed in confusion. “How do you know-” she pointed to his cape where his brotherhood pin remained steadfast. Ah. Of course. 

“Are you… familiar with it?” He asked. At her confusion Quirin continued. “The Dark Kingdom.”

“Bits and bobs. Legends, mostly.” She grabbed a stick and started poking the fire. When the stick caught, she didn’t even flinch, just pulling it out like a torch. “I heard the unbreakable rocks originate from your land.” 

“They do.”

“Hm.” Ulla tossed the stick back into the fire when its flames licked her hand. “I’ve been studying them since my last partner retired.” Her eyes, though teal, turned orange as she stared into the flames. She looked almost ethereal, unflinching as she gazed into destruction. 

Was it just Quirin, or was that fire burning hotter than normal? Was she hot? He was hot. 

“Imagine if we could harness them… the structures we could build… the lives we could change.” 

Quirin frowned, snapping out of his stupor. “No. The moonstone is far too dangerous in the wrong hands.”

“What’s the moonstone?” 

Ah, shit.

Quirin’s face burned a bright red. Ulla’s smirk only caused his face to burn brighter. She had caught him, gotten him to say just what she was looking for: the source of the rocks. Not only that, now she knew they were controllable. 

“If you think I’m going to tell a stranger about the artifact I’ve spent my life guarding, you’re solely mistaken,” He admonished, and Ulla laughed. Her eyelids lowered, giving her a sultry look. Along with her smirk, she took his breath away.

“Is that a challenge?” She asked. Quirin smiled.

-

Varian screamed the whole way home. He screamed down the path, into town, into their (her) house. It irritated Ulla to no end; no one was coming to help him! Old Corona emptied out when the rocks became too numerous! It’s his own damn fault it got this bad. His subconcious anger at her was no doubt the cause of Old Corona’s destruction, and now it would prevent anyone from coming to steal him away. The rocks followed them, large and imposing, and threatened to stab her if it wasn’t for her grip on him. 

“Would you knock it off?” She hissed, dropping him onto the floor of their house. After Quirin left, she’d fished out all her old notes and experiments, ready to start anew. A fresh wind of inspiration had blown through, leaving chemicals and equations in its wake. 

She wasted no time, changing him out of his sailor suit and back into his old clothes. They had hung loose off him when he stayed with her, and now they were bordering on too short. What was one a long sleeved shirt now ended at his forearm, and his pants looked more like capris. “Oh please, you don’t want to get your nice clothes ruined, do you?” That argument shut Varian up, though he still pouted. But when he looked away, she threw the clothes into the fire. Bronze buttons glinted as they melted, dripping onto firewood. 

She measured his height, his weight (now much closer to the growth chart than before), how bright his hair glowed when a rock sprouted. Now that he was here, they didn’t stop. The spikes that impaled their house only grew in size, stretching towards the moon he got his powers from. 

After an hour or two, the front door swung open. Varian perked up, expecting a savior. Imagine his shock when it was Quirin who came through the door. A man who he’d spent loads of time around, who he’d trusted in the castle. He’d never been close to the man, but he was always kind, and ruffled his hair whenever he passed. And now here he was, working with his captor. 

“Varian,” Ulla smirked. “This is your father, Quirin. You’re to address him as such.”

“No.” 

Quirin raised an eyebrow, concern marring his features. “Ulla, he’s known me by name for long enough, it’s really fine-”

“No it’s not!” She snapped. “You’re his father, not that castle upstart!” 

“His name is Eugene!” Varian protested. “He’s my daddy, and you’re not my mommy! Mommies are supposed to love their kids!” His mind flashed back to Rapunzel: her hugs, her songs, their art projects… 

“I’m just like you, I had a mom who wasn’t very nice,” She’d told him. “It’s ok to love them, but they’re not your real mom. Your real mom loves you back.”

“Do you miss her?” He’d asked.

She had hissed between her teeth. “Sometimes. But then I think about what I’d want to say to her if she was right here, and none of it is nice.” Varian giggled at that. “What’s the one thing you’d want to say to your momma if she was here?”

_ “I HATE YOU!” _

His cheek burned red.

Ulla heaved for breath, her hand still raised in the air. Varian was stunned, falling back in shock. Then, with quivering eyes, and hiccupping breath, Varian raced upstairs. His old bedroom door closed with a slam. 

Ulla glared down at the floor, then turned to the remaining man. “We start first thing tomorrow morning.” With a huff, she stomped off to her lab and shut that door tight. He heard the bolts lock behind her.

Quirin had a feeling this would happen. He didn’t expect Varian to see him as a father, not yet, and maybe not ever. But he couldn’t deny that he wanted Varian to be his son. He’d always felt fond of the boy, and felt pangs of jealousy whenever Eugene had walked by with the boy in tow. Now he knew why: his subconscious must have known they were kin. 

He might not have been there before, but he wanted to be there now. There was no way he was going to kill his son in order to destroy the moonstone. Hence he was willing to work will Ulla in order to set it free.

He just had to make sure he got it first.

-

“Take me to the moonstone,” She’d whisper in the dead of night.

“No,” Quirin would respond, turning over in his pad. “Not yet.”

“If not harness it, we could destroy it,” She’d say as they walked down a dirt path.

“Many have tried before, what makes you any different?” He’d counter. She would roll her eyes as if that was an absurd question. “Us. You and me. We’re different.” She would say. “With my intellect and your history, we’d surely find a solution.”

“When you do, then I’ll take you.” She would pout and stomp ahead, and he would laugh so hard his sides ached. 

“The decay incantation may work on the stone.” She’d suggest, sitting upside down on the bed of their hotel room. Quirin would raise an eyebrow, interested in the suggestion.

“Doesn’t the incantation require the stone to work?” He’d finally say. She would snicker, as he was correct.

“This is why we make a great team.” She’d say, and he’d agree.

“Take me to your home. Let me be a part of your family.” She would say, tangled up in the sheets with him. Her eyes were warm, not embers, but still smoldering.

He’d let her head rest on his chest, hair tickling his neck. “Ok,” He’d relent, and deep down he’d know it was a battle he’d been doomed to lose since the start. 

She’d kiss him, and he would truly think he could trust her. 

He couldn’t.

-

Ulla had repurposed Varian’s room months ago, it was all storage. Farm tools and once abandoned chemicals lined the shelves, slowly being moved back into the lab.

Varian huddled into one corner of his bed. Quirin had been kind enough to tidy up enough for him to have his own space, and he promised it was temporary. "We'll clean out your room when the moonstone is destroyed," He whispered as he tucked Varian in. The boy didn't want Quirin to tuck him in, but he was too scared to complain. "We can finally be a family, I promise." A family? Yea right. Family was waiting for him in the castle. The knight ruffled Varian’s hair, just like he’d always done in the castle, and blew out the candle light. 

Varian didn't want this family. He wanted Eugene and Rapunzel... his daddy and mommy.

"L-look to the stars..." He whispered in the dead of night. "My-my darling baby boy..." He wasn't nearly as good at singing as Rapunzel was; she said he could learn if he wanted. "Life is-is strange and... vast..." Each word was accompanied by a sob or hiccup as tears rolled down pudgy cheeks. Cheeks that would no doubt thin again. 

"Full of wonders... and joys... face each-each day, w-with eyes cl-clear and true...." He gripped the blanket, longing for Ruddiger. "Unafraid... of the unknown.... B-because.... because...!" He couldn't finish. 

Tiny, chest wracking sobs echoed throughout the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Canon Quirin: stoic and secretive   
> AL Quirin: simp in denial   
> DW Eugene and co will be in the next chapter! Thanks again for all of your support! If you like please feel free to leave a comment/kudos :D


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Experiments, imprisonment, and introspection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woop woop we in the endgame now  
> Once again thanks to Finn, space, and AJ for all the help they've given me on this fic, and to all of you for your kind words! We're in the endgame now! 2 or 3 more chapters!

The dungeons hadn’t changed since last time. 

Eugene laid on his cot, staring up at the ceiling without much of a thought. How long has he been in here? He wasn’t sure. Nor did he really care. The only way he could tell time was the light in his window, and Lance. 

“Hey bud, how are you doing?” speaking of, there he was again. Lance stopped by at least twice a day to update him. It was pretty much the same conversation every time.

“So… the princess is still locked in her room,” The bald man said, twiddling his thumbs. “Her dad is sticking to his guns. You know. His kid was kidnapped, so he can’t exactly let her kidnap someone’s kid, it’s about the principle, yknow? Even though the kidnapping was justified…” he trailed off awkwardly. 

Eugene is silent. He doesn’t even blink. 

“Apparently the King figured out that Cass took the princess to the rocks, yknow, where she got her hair back. And he wasn’t thrilled. I think she’s going to a convent.” Oh, that was new. “She’s not thrilled about it for obvious reasons, I think even the queen is trying to talk him down.” Oh finally, someone is actually fighting back? He sighed through his nose. 

It was wrong of him to assume the others weren’t just as upset as him, but he couldn’t help but feel… betrayed? Furious? The feeling is unclear. It’s similar to how he felt when the Stabbingtons tried to kidnap Varian, but more urgent. It felt as if an alarm was constantly going off, sending his emotions into overdrive at all times, draining him of all energy. 

Eugene asked the same question he always did. “...Varian?” 

Lance sighed, and that was all he needed to know. 

-

“Good morning, Varian,” Quirin hummed, gently shaking the boy. “I brought you some breakfast.” 

The little lump shifted, and Varian peeked out from a messy bed head. Oh, it was so cute! Quirin once again kicked himself for letting his son go unnoticed by him for five years. He chuckled at how Varian pouted, but Varian didn’t seem to understand what was so funny. He took the banana offered to him and crammed his face like it was his last meal on earth. 

Though, knowing Ulla, it may be. 

He sighed as he helped get Varian ready for the day. Ulla, though she raised Varian, was oddly absent now that Quirin was here. She focused all her time on research, spending the day in her lab with Varian and the night in her room pouring over notes. What was their life like before? Did she ignore him often? 

Back at the castle Varian was quite a dramatic kid, always wanting to be the center of his dad’s attention. It was that desire for love that caused all this, after all. Was this where it stemmed from? 

It was with some reluctance that he handed Varian over to Ulla once the boy was dressed. She nodded at Quirin, but then gazed eagerly at her son. It wasn’t a loving look, not like how Rapunzel would excitedly grin at Varian. It was that same mischievous look she gave to her specimen on the road, and it sent shivers up Quirin’s spine now. To think he used to find it endearing. 

“Good morning, Varian,” She said. “We’re going to do some tests this morning, see how well you can control the rocks, ok?”

Varian whimpered at that. Now that Ulla seemed to think he could control them, she was determined to get him to harness it. Create specific patterns, cause them to retract, et cetera. He’d only ever gotten them to obey him exactly once before, back at the castle. 

Back when he wanted to use them for love, to fight for his family. 

Quirin gave him an encouraging smile. “I’ll make you ham sandwiches for dinner, ok? Just behave for your mother.” He’d go with, but discovered quickly he couldn’t stomach it. Seeing Varian so upset, seeing Ulla yell at him, it hurt too much. He’d nearly stopped the experiments, much to Ulla’s displeasure. They needed to do this, she said. They had to figure out how the moondrop manifested, how it worked, in order to get the moonstone out of him safely. 

He told himself this, and yet the screams from her lab still haunted him. 

-

Rapunzel paced around her room, frustrated. Every second she stayed here, safe and sound, was another second Eugene suffered, Cass suffered, Varian suffered. Her window was gated so she couldn’t climb down, and guards were stationed outside the door. She couldn’t even go to the bathroom alone! Pascal occasionally snuck out but he couldn’t exactly talk or help her breakout. 

She had her mom for that, thank god. Arianna currently sat on her bed, flipping through her daughter’s journal. While the pages were filled with her daily adventures, and occasionally a desire to explore, the longer the journal went, the more it focused on Varian. His quirks, his misadventures, his powers… 

She shut the journal. “Rapunzel, sweetie, I know you’re upset.” She said. “But you said you knew Varian was kidnapped? The whole time?”

“Not the whole time, just… most of it.” She admitted. “I knew it was going to come back and bite us, but not… not like this.” 

“Well, your father sure is a stickler for his laws. You should’ve seen him when Varian tried to take over,” She laughed slightly at the memory, but stopped when Rapunzel only became more miserable. No doubt her daughter blamed herself for the current situation. “I can’t say this isn’t your fault, because in a way it is. But you’re not alone in blame.” She walked over to rub her daughter’s shoulders. 

“No, but it’s not right!” The queen’s hands were shrugged off. “Varian was taken because his mom wanted to harness his powers and hog them all to herself. The only difference between her and Gothel is that she’s his birth mom! That’s it! He’s just a kid!” Rapunzel blinked, wiping away stray tears. “He’s just a kid, my kid…” 

Arianna was silent. Then, she sighed. Rapunzel was right after all. Her methods may have been wrong, but she was right. Sometimes, the law needs to be broken in order to do the right thing. After all, Rapunzel was brought home by the man who stole her crown. 

-

Well. Another day, another failure.

Ulla swirled the solution, staring at it idly. Varian had been fussy all day, crying and screaming whenever Ulla so much as raised her voice. That thief spoiled him, didn’t he? Stupid brat. She never wanted kids, not like Donella. Children would only slow her down, and the better she is, the better the world is. 

Right now, Varian was being tucked into bed by her partner. Quirin was great, truly, don’t get her wrong. He was soft, he was kind. But that softness would be his undoing. They’d always joked about the moonstone, what would happen if she harnessed it, what would happen if he destroyed it. 

A shame it turned out this way. In another life, perhaps they could’ve been a happy family.

They both knew what would happen here. One way or another, Ulla was going to extract the moonstone. Quirin would try and get his hands on it in order to destroy it, while Ulla would try to grab and absorb it for real this time. None of that womb gets first dibs bullshit. 

Come on, Quirin, she thought, you know what happened last time someone tried to destroy it! What’s so special about this time? She never did figure out how to destroy it, after all. She’d just convinced him that they could take it and experiment. He’d thought they’d work together on the moonstone in order to destroy it. But she’d never wanted to destroy it! Unbreakable houses, bridges defying physics, unrippable stitches, the ideas were endless! Why destroy knowledge? 

Why worry about the health of the parasite attached to it?

She’d been messing with an idea for the past few days: if a chemical reacted to the rocks, maybe it would react to the moondrop. The concoction in front of her turned a golden color, glowing faintly in the light. The bubbles trapped air like flies in amber. Carefully, with a small pipette, a single drop of solution was placed on obsidian. 

For a moment, nothing happened. She groaned.

Then a tendril of amber began to grow. And grow. 

She backed up quickly, just in time, as the whole rock suddenly groaned in protest. Amber tentacles wrapped and squeezed the rocks tighter and tighter until-

_Snap!_

Ulla stood, dumbfounded, as the broken piece of rock clattered to the ground at her feet. 

-

Quirin sighed, placing a plate full of food in front of Varian. The little boy was so tired he couldn’t keep his head upright without support. Drowsy eyes flickered over the sandwich before slowly raising it to eat. It was good that he was eating, right? Eating meant not sick. It would be adorable if it wasn’t so distressing. 

He couldn’t help but lament his past self. Foolish, lovestruck Quirin had been so willing to overlook Ulla’s flaws, her red flags. He’d convinced himself love had changed her, that taking her to the moonstone would convince her it needed to be destroyed. And when that didn’t happen, he’d blamed himself. How could he not? 

He spent five years chasing down the only woman he ever loved, fully prepared to forgive her. And when she’d told him the moonstone wasn’t with her, he had let himself hope. Maybe she had destroyed it, after all! Only to realize the moonstone survived… in his son. Their son. The son Ulla didn’t love, just like she didn’t love him…

Did she ever love him?

Varian’s head drooped, and would’ve dropped onto his plate without Quirin’s hands. He smiled despite the circumstances. Varian was definitely the one good thing to come out of this mess. 

“Come on, son. It seems it’s bedtime.” He lifted Varian effortlessly, and he laid his head on Quirin’s shoulder. 

Varian sighed sleepily. “Daddy…” 

The knight’s heart plummeted. It wasn’t him Varian was calling for.

He was going to put Varian to bed, when he had a bright idea. 

“Varian, son, can you wake up for a little bit? I want to show you something.” He carried him to the study, where the graphtyc sat unassumingly. He took it with him after the whole debacle in the castle. Varian groaned, rubbing his eyes, but glanced curiously down at the sheet of paper in front of him. He remembered it from the castle, this was what caused him to run away… this is what said he could hurt people.

“As my son, you have a birthright to the secrets of the Brotherhood,” Quirin said, stretching the paper out so Varian could read the translation. “This is one of them.” 

Baby blue eyes read over the paper. “Whatsit mean?”

“Well the first one I’m sure Rapunzel has sung to you. It’s a song to make you feel better.” 

“Oh!” Varian’s eyes lit up at the mention of the princess. “One time, my head hurt, and she said her song had magic healing powers!” 

Quirin chuckled. “Did it work?”

“Not really.” Varian reached out to brush his fingers against the black rock drawing, a frown etched onto his face. His hands shook almost imperceptibly as he read the other incantation. 

“That one is yours,” Quirin whispered.

“Mine?”

“You have the moondrop, you can use that one.” 

He could see the cogs turning in Varian’s brain; like mother, like son. “Does it actually work?”

The knight laughed a bit harder. “Yes, it does. But you shouldn’t use it unless you’re in danger, ok?”

Varian bit his lip. “Ok,” He whispered. Did momma count as danger? Is it ok to hurt people if he’s in danger? Is that what Quirin was saying?

His head spun. He wanted Eugene. Eugene made sense. Quirin didn’t. He was full of contradictions; the man wanted to keep people safe and yet he was keeping Varian from his family. Rapunzel said your real family loved you no matter what, and this wasn’t his real family. 

Sadly, Varian buried his head into Quirin’s shoulder. For a brief moment, he could pretend it was Eugene. 

Quirin sighed as he carried Varian to bed. 

“Goodnight, son,” he whispered, stroking Varian’s hair away from his face.

Varian whined. “Not your son.” 

The knight said nothing. He left the small room with his head lowered. As the door shut, he could faintly hear the beginnings of tears as Varian sobbed for Eugene.

Denial had blinded Quirin for too long. He’d never love Varian as unconditionally as Eugene does, he’s already proved it. His love for Ulla and dedication to the moonstone caused him to hurt the boy. There was no way Varian would forgive him, even if this all does work out.

He’d messed up big time, hadn’t he?

He had to talk to Ulla. 

-

Sometime around midnight, Eugene awoke to someone at his cell door, jostling with the keys. He swung upright, ready to yell at Lance about waking him up, but faltered. 

“Cassandra?” He asked, dumbfounded. Black hair bounced as its owner looked up. 

“Yo,” She simply said as his jail swung open. “Let’s go.” She walked away, but Eugene didn’t follow at first, too shocked. Her annoyance was clear in her voice. “Hurry up, daddy-o, we don’t have all night.”

“First of all, never call me that again,” Eugene complained as he followed her. “Second, I thought you were being shipped to a convent?”

“Yea, that was a lie,” she said as they snuck past several guards. “My dad made it up so we could plan this without suspicion.”

“Plan what?”

She looked at him like he had grown an extra head. “Your escape, dumbass. Me, Lance, and the queen.” Eugene choked on that last name. The _queen_? Breaking the law? It was hard enough to accept Cassandra deliberately breaking the law, but her? 

They snuck down large, moonlit hallways silently. Finally at Rapunzel’s doors, she and Arianna stood waiting for them. 

“Eugene!” Rapunzel gasped, racing towards her boyfriend. He easily lifted her into his arms, spinning around in the embrace. For a moment, they just stood there, taking in each other’s scent after so long apart.

Arianna cleared her throat, and they separated. “The guards have been relieved. We have 10 minutes till the next shift comes in.” She said. Her eyes were glittering like diamonds, full of mischief and determination. 

“Your majesty, I-I… what is going on?” Eugene gasped, struggling to find the words. “I mean, I can probably guess what’s going on, clearly you guys are breaking us out, but _why_?”

The queen’s eyes softened. She placed an arm on Eugene’s shoulder. “We spent too long trying to reason with my husband. He’s a man of the law, even if the law is unfair. For every minute we let him have his way… Varian has been gone.” She gripped his shoulder. “I know how painful that is, to know someone else has your baby, and you don’t know if they’re safe.” Her words shook so painfully Eugene wanted to hug her, but he wasn’t sure that was allowed. “Do what I was never able to do, but you did for me. Save your child. Bring him home.” 

Eh, fuck it; Eugene wrapped the queen in a quick, grateful embrace. She returned it. 

“We’re going out the same way me and Raps snuck out,” Cassandra said. “Lance and her majesty will keep the king and my dad occupied.”

“But there’s no telling for how long,” Rapunzel summarized. “So we have to hurry.” With that, they raced down the corridor, leaving Arianna alone.

“Hang on, Varian,” She whispered, glancing up at the moon. “Your parents are coming.”

-

Max rode straight into Old Corona, never stopping for a second. Each second they waited was another second Varian was in danger, or maybe worse. 

“He’s gotta be ok, right?” Rapunzel rambled as they rode. “Quirin is there, and he’s a good guy! He wouldn’t let Ulla hurt him… right?”

“Didn’t he betray us and hand Varian back over to his mom?” Eugene replied, getting an elbow from Cassandra. “Look, I’m just saying. We gotta be ready for a fight.” 

“He’s right, I doubt Ulla will give up so easily.” Cassandra said, brows furrowing. “Why exactly did they take Varian?”

“Varian is the moondrop, and apparently that makes him dangerous,” Eugene’s fists clenched at the thought. Sure he may have crazy rock powers, but dangerous? His boy? The kid befriended a raccoon and brought it to a fancy dinner party! He was just that, a kid! 

Cassandra shook her head to indicate it wasn’t what she meant. “Right, I got that. But why does he even have those powers? Quirin said it was an accident.” 

“It doesn’t matter,” Eugene butt in before Rapunzel could respond. “What matters is that Ulla hurt him for having the powers, and we need to stop her.”

“Right.” As the conversation ended, they entered Old Corona… or rather, tried to. Max couldn’t even enter the city, it was so covered in rocks. 

“It’s worse than before,” Rapunzel hissed. “We’re going in on foot.” As they entered the village, her hair began to glow, reflecting off the rocks in tandem. 

In his room, Varian shot upright. A warmth radiated in his chest, spreading throughout his body and filling him with a sense of peace. “Punzel?” He whispered. He could feel it, but he wasn’t sure how. Tiny feet padded out of his door and downstairs. She was headed towards the lab entrance, he could feel her movements! And if Rapunzel was here, so was Eugene! He excitedly raced into the lab, only to stop at the scene in front of him.

Quirin and Ulla, glaring one another down.

A flask in Ulla’s hands, a sword in Quirin’s. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quirin using his brain? In my Alchemy Lullaby? More likely than you think, free PC Check  
> I'm starting finals week which is no fun, but im also starting to work on the next chapter right now, so hopefully it'll be out soon! But who knows! I sure as hell don't!  
> Please leave a comment if you enjoyed this validation fuels me!


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The worst child custody fight you've ever seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all I am so nervous I really hope this delivers! I spent a good 5 days just agonizing over how to get my idea across, editing, redoing, this was a monster to make. The biggest goddamn shoutouts to Scar server, AJ, and Space for ideas and inspiration, and Finnoky for being my partner in this whole mess, as well as the amazingly talented artist for this chapter.  
> Oh also, I had to retcon the last sentence from the previous chapter you shall see why.

_Quirin and Ulla, glaring one another down._

_A flask in Ulla’s hands, a sword in Quirin’s._

Varian whimpered from the doorway. Rapunzel and Eugene were so close, he could feel it! As each second ticked by, another rock reacted to her warmth, heating up his soul, his heart. He just had to hang on a little longer, and he could go home! Right? 

Quirin stared Ulla down. His back was turned away from their son in the doorway, and he didn’t intend for Ulla to step any farther. 

“Quirin,” she says, exasperated. “This is what you wanted, is it not?” She swirled the small vial around in her hand. “You wanted the moonstone, the _rocks_ taken care of! This will do that!” To demonstrate, she let a single drop fall onto a nearby rock. Amber creeped up the surface, swallowing the rock wholly until it crumbled away, leaving only the amber behind. “If we give this to Varian, it’ll eject the moonstone from him!” 

“I want the moonstone _destroyed_ , and I want Varian _safe_ ,” Quirin hissed. “You were the best option; I didn’t want to kill him!” 

Ulla raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “I thought you were all about duty? ‘No matter the cost’?”

“Not at the expense of a child!” 

“Oh, relax. This won’t kill him. Probably. I’m actually not sure.” She shrugged, and Quirin’s anger grew. How could she be ok with killing a child, her own son? The whole reason he was here was to satisfy his morals and duty, and yet her solution was not feasible. 

He’d let Ulla manipulate him for far too long. She knew how he felt about her, and she’d used it against him this whole time! She preyed on his desire for a son, for a _family_ , and he’d totally bought into it. The man had told himself he was doing this out of duty, but he never was. 

“If you cannot guarantee his safety, then I won’t let you hurt him.” He said, and Ulla’s face fell. “I only put up with those experiments in the hopes of a solution, and yet all that’s come from this is pain. I…” He looked back at Varian. “I stole a child from his father in the hopes that you could end this.”

“And I _can_ ,” Ulla insisted. She thrust an arm out, reaching for Varian. “If you would just trust me!” 

“What a fool I am,” He sighed. “To ever think I could trust you.”

Her eyes narrowed, face morphing into a scowl. Quirin brandished his sword, but alas she was prepared. From her apron she pulled a small vial and threw it at Quirin’s feet. It exploded into goo, trapping him in place. 

With him out of the way, Ulla’s attention fell solely to the boy. Her hair practically floated in midair, more and more chunks falling out her bun as she stalked forward. “Oh, Varian,” She sang, gaze trained solely on her son. “Come to momma, moondrop. Let momma _fix_ you.” 

Quirin struggled desperately to escape from the goo trap, but the alchemy held strong. “Varian, run!” he cried. 

The child backed up in fear, shaking his head. “Punzel’s gonna be here! She’s coming for me!” He insisted. Just a little longer, he just had to wait a little longer…! 

His momma laughed in agreement. “Yes, stay. It doesn’t matter, Varian. Just take your medicine, and all our problems will go away…” Now that Ulla was closer, her scowl morphed into a cheshire grin. She ran a hand through her hair, leaving a large piece hanging like a curtain over one eye. 

Varian’s mind reeled as tears streamed down his face. Think, think! Eugene always told him to come find him when he was in danger, but he knew where Eugene was! He was coming! Why wasn’t he here yet?

He glanced around wildly, looking at anything aside from his momma and the glowing vial in her hand. From Quirin, who struggled to free himself, to the moon shining through the window…

Wait, that’s it! The incantation! The one Quirin said to only use in danger! This surely counted as danger, right? 

“Wither and decay…” He mumbled, and Ulla’s face lost all color. “End this dest-destiny…” He didn’t really know what the words meant, did that matter? He hoped not. 

“Don’t you dare,” Ulla growled, grabbing Varian’s arm roughly. “Don’t you _dare_ you brat! You worthless child!” She pushed the vial into his face. “DRINK IT!”

_BANG!_

“GET AWAY FROM HIM!”

Eugene stood front and center at the lab’s entrance, chest heaving as he stared at the scene in anger. His baby boy, backed into a corner and at a madwoman’s mercy! Righteous justice bubbled in his chest, a desire to grab Varian and cause just as much pain to this lady as she had caused their family. Rapunzel at his side readied her frying pan while her braid shone like the sun. Cassandra stood by as well, sword drawn and ready to fight Quirin, though she lowered it slightly when she saw he was no threat. 

The alchemist snarled, throwing down Varian’s arm and reaching for her alchemy. “Honestly, if you all had just waited five minutes, I would’ve gladly handed him back…!” Why did none of them see her way? She just wanted to extract the moonstone from a baby who had no use for it, nor a proper grip on his powers. She wanted the rocks to vanish, just like the rest of them! Ulla charged at the trio, throwing a smoke bomb to distract them. The room filled with smoke, hiding Varian from sight.

“Varian!” Rapunzel called. “Hang on, honey! We’ll save you!” 

Ulla’s voice rang out loud and clear from behind. “I’m trying to save us all, you morons!” Rapunzel brought up her frying pan to bat away another bomb now that she could see Ulla through the smoke. “If I had the moonstone, I could retract all the rocks!”

“What makes you so sure you can control them if Varian can’t?” She barked. The only response she got was a goo bomb trapping her pan to her hand. “Ugh, seriously?” Ulla smirked, throwing another bomb she knew Rapunzel couldn’t dodge. The princess braced for impact, only for Cassandra to push her to the floor just in time. 

“Eugene!” Cassandra called through the smoke. “Go find Varian!” 

Eugene held up his shirt to help his breathing through the smoke, though it was slowly beginning to dissipate. He could barely make out Quirin’s form, trapped under Ulla’s alchemy. While part of him still hated the man’s guts, seeing that he was not on Ulla’s side (anymore) was enough to push that down for now. “Quirin,” He rasped. “Varian. Is he ok? I swear if you hurt a hair on his head-”

“He’s fine, I tried to stop Ulla from using that chemical. I’m so sorry,” That got Eugene to blink in shock. A truce, a common enemy, that would’ve been expected, but an apology? “I should never have taken him, I was just trying to do my duty, I never wanted him to be hurt-!”

Eugene cut him off. “Yea, we can hash that out later. Varian?” That made Quirin blink a few times in shock. He was just ignored, just like that? Well, he couldn’t blame Eugene, it was his son after all. But still, ow. He pointed his sword in the direction of the boy.

“Varian, bud, you there?” Eugene said, and the smoke finally cleared enough that he could see his son still in the corner. “Oh thank god-” He trailed off at his son’s appearance. “Varian…?”

Pitch black eyes stared back. His baby’s lovely hair, raven black with a streak of moonlight, was now dark as the rocks he controlled, with teal flowing through his head. A large shadow loomed behind Varian, creeping and slowly swallowing the room in darkness.

“Break these earthly chains… and set the spirit free.”

The floor beneath him cracked, and the air turned stale, blowing away any remaining smoke.

“Wh-” Cassandra tried to speak, but broke into violent coughs. Like sand in an hourglass, energy sapped away from the adults in the room, redirected towards the toddler. With each heartbeat Eugene felt himself weaken, but still he staggered forward, dropping down onto his knees in front of his son. 

The past few days have been wrought with anxiety, but now, seeing Varian in front of him, so close yet so far… that was worst of all. Eugene’s boy was dressed in rags similar to when he was first found (Where was his suit? His suit that he adored and made Varian look like himself?). Oh how Eugene wanted to scoop Varian up. To run away, to the ends of the earth. But that would make him no better than Ulla. To think just a few days ago, nothing was wrong, their only problem had been Varian’s jealousy towards Rapunzel. How had it all gone so wrong? Did that make Eugene a bad parent? If he had fought harder, would Varian be in this position? Or would this destined to happen, the forces inside his son doomed to swallow them all whole?

He reached out, hands shaking, and pulled Varian into his arms. His clothes sizzled slightly under Varian’s touch, but he didn’t care. He rocked Varian back and forth, just how he liked it. “Varian?” Eugene whispered. “Varian, can you hear me?”

“...Wither and decay,” Varian murmured, another tear falling. 

Distantly, Eugene could hear the others struggling. He heard a _thump_ as someone collapsed, the distressed cries of Rapunzel. He glanced up, and… was it just him or was her hair flashing? Like a candle on the verge of going out, Rapunzel’s hair flickered between blonde and brown. She grasped at her chest, clawing at it as if something was trying to burst out. From under her fingertips a faint gold glowed. 

“....Thief…” Ulla’s voice rasped. She lay on her stomach and rolled a vial over to Eugene. “U...use that on him! Make him drink it! Otherwise we’ll all die…!” Her eyes turned desperate, a silent call for a truce. 

His arms were now burning where Varian touched. He rested his chin on Varian’s normally soft hair, only for it to feel hotter than a thousand suns. But none of that mattered. All that mattered was the boy he had in his arms. His baby, his darling, finally back where he belonged.

Eugene held the golden chemical, ready to move it to Varian’s lips…

And faltered.

No.

He wasn’t going to risk Varian’s life for his own. 

He tossed the vial aside and placed a kiss to the top of Varian’s head, ignoring the searing pain it caused his face. Though it might have just burned his stubble off. “Bluebird,” He whispered. “Dad’s here. You’re ok now. Come on, Varian, come back to me.” 

“End... this destiny…” Varian faltered ever so slightly. 

From where she had collapsed, Rapunzel sat up shakily. “Varian, you mean so much to us. Please…” While his vision was blurred, Eugene could tell he was right; her hair was brown again. A golden stone pulsed on her chest, giving her the strength to stumble towards them. Upon reaching her love and son, she collapsed once more, placing shaking hands on Varian’s shoulders. Miraculously, she didn’t burn. 

“Sweetie,” She whispered. “We’re here, we need you.”

A single tear trailed down Eugene’s cheek. “We love you,” he said.

There was silence. 

Tiny hands squeezed at Eugene’s arm. It didn’t burn.

“Daddy…? Mommy…?”

Varian blinked once, twice, eyes no longer tar, but rather the same electric blue as always. His hair was back to normal too, and the burns slowly began to fade to a general ache instead of searing. Even breathing felt easier. Eugene let out a wet laugh, placing a kiss to the crown of Varian’s head once more. 

“Yea bud, daddy and mommy,” he choked out, and Varian sighed, content. They sat there for a moment, the three of them, Rapunzel wrapping both of them into a hug. Finally, after days of agony, they were together again. 

Slowly, steadily, Cassandra stood up, leaning against her sword. She couldn’t help but feel a little awkward, but nonetheless glad to see Varian back to normal. Quirin, who had finally managed to free himself from the goo, also seemed at peace. They stood in place, watching the family with smiles on their faces.

For a moment, all was calm. 

A hand snatched Varian’s shirt collar, retching him from his parent’s grasp with a cry. Eugene barely had any time to react before Ulla was forcing the amber solution down Varian’s mouth. 

“No!” He yelled as his son began to cough and sputter, writhing in Ulla’s grasp so much that she almost dropped him. With hungry eyes she watched as Varian curled in on himself and screamed, his pain causing a flurry of rocks to sprout all over the lab and weaken the already damaged structure. Not only that, but creeping tendrils of amber engulfed each new rock, reaching claws out to try and ensnare anything that ventured too close. 

Cassandra tried to strike one with her sword, but it shattered on impact. Shit, this stuff was just as strong as the rocks!

“How is this better than the moonstone!?” She hissed at Quirin. The knight didn’t respond, instead shielding her when a nearby rock exploded from the force of the amber. A war of yellow and black raged, ravaging the room.

“Varian!” Eugene screamed, horrified as the child seized on the floor. Much like Rapunzel moments ago, a bright glow centered on his heart grew. This one was cyan, and as it got brighter, his hairstripe grew dimmer. 

Ulla’s hand dug into the boy’s chest, seizing what grew. He let out a final scream, and the room exploded in a bright light. 

Rapunzel’s own breast glowed briefly, reigniting her hair long enough for it to wrap protectively around her boyfriend. Quirin and Cassandra huddled together to brace for impact. Wind howled around them, so loud that it was all they could hear, and dust blew directly into their faces. 

When Rapunzel’s hair parted, and Cassandra and Quirin opened their eyes, the house was destroyed. 

Shattered support beams lay strewn across the landscape, some impaled by black rocks that were beginning to move. A loud groan echoed, haunting as the rocks of Old Corona shifted directions until all of them faced towards the ruined lab. 

At the epicenter, where all the rocks pointed, lay a very still boy. 

Too still. 

“No no no!” Eugene lurched forward, coughing violently as the debris that coated his lungs made itself known. But that didn’t stop him, dragging across the ruins until he was at Varian’s side. “Varian!” He begged, shaking arms picking up his son. He cradled him close to his chest, hoping, no, praying, that Varian was ok. 

He was quickly joined by Cassandra and Rapunzel, who's searching hands checked Varian for signs of life. Cassandra placed a finger on his neck, and let out a massive breath. “He’s alive,” she whispered. “Just unconscious.” 

“What on earth was that…?” Rapunzel asked, fear clouding her emerald eyes. 

In all honesty, Eugene had no clue. He glanced at his sunshine, with her once again brown hair, and Cassandra, with her broken sword and shattered look, and sighed. 

Suddenly, the rocks lit up blue around them. It started off their usual hue, glowing brighter and brighter, even more so than when Rapunzel’s hair reacted to them. The air hummed with electricity, and sparks jumped from rock to rock with loud cracks. 

“Finally…”

The trio whipped their heads around. Eugene’s heart leapt into his throat as he clutched Varian tighter.

Ulla stood off to the side, previously silent, now admiring her new form. Her hair was set free from its bun, ending at her waist and a bright teal, more saturated than Varian’s hairstripe. Gone was her alchemy apron and goggles, replaced by a black, capped sleeve dress. Dark blue spikes covered her lower arms. 

The moonstone spritzed with power on her chest. 

“After 5 agonizing years…” Ulla’s voice was haunting, almost melodic. She spread her fingers out, beckoning a rock to her command. It creeped up from the earth until she rested her palm on its surface. The power was addictive, filling Ulla’s veins with refracted sunlight. No wonder Varian put up such a fight, she’d rather die than be without this power ever again!

Her euphoric haze faded at the sight of the trio. In the thief’s arms was her son, the boy who had given her so much grief for all these years. It was laughable, how easy the solution had been in retrospect. But oh well, live and learn. 

Rapunzel glared down the other woman, clutching Eugene’s bicep in support. Like hell they would let this woman get away with what she did. So what if she had an indestructible body armor and ultimate power? She hurt their kid, and they’d kick her ass. 

Ulla’s grin turned wicked sharp. “I can make the world as it should be,” she raised her arm, and the spike she’d summoned grew. Then another joined it, and another, and suddenly a ring of obsidian rose around her. Their points all faced the family, preparing to spring forward.

“Starting with you.” 

Without warning, the rocks formed a trail, several jutting closer and closer, snaking through the earth preparing to meet flesh. They braced for impact-

_CRUNCH._

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Ulla gaped at the piece of rock that jutted out of her chest. 

Panting, Quirin drove the point further into her. 

She fell to her knees.

Then her side.

Her eyes stared forward, unblinking, gazing at the son she never loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: did Rapunzel ever get hit with the decay incantation? No? Free Real Estate  
> EVERYONE SIMP FOR FINN OR QUIRIN WILL STAB U


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian reunites with his real family. Fred gets dunked on. Eugene and Rapunzel surprise each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE ARE AT THE END OH MY GOD ;-; sorry this took so long I have not been vibing but yknow. It be like that. First off, a big thanks to everyone who has helped me on this crazy journey. The scar and 7K server being my serotonin machine (if you wanna join dm me on tumblr), AJ and Space and Gues for helping me with ideas, and of course Finn, my partner in crime, the platonic love of my life, without who this crazy mess would probably not have been completed. And of course, all of you who have commented and kudos'd and bookmarked. This fic just passed Only as Strong in hits and that totally blows my mind.

The moonstone clattered to the ground, dull and quiet like any other rock. 

For a few moments, no one spoke. The only sound was Quirin’s heavy breathing, exhausted, as he slumped over Ulla’s slowly cooling body. 

“Well…” Eugene finally breathed. “That was… something.” The adrenaline finally began to wear off, replacing a feral desire to  _ protect _ with burns and shaky hands. In his arms Varian doesn’t stir, the soft breath against his arm the only sign he’s still alive. 

“Understatement of the fucking century,” Cassandra groans. The decay incantation settled deep into their bones, making every movement painful. The only one unaffected was Rapunzel, protected by the golden pulse in her chest. She moves her hand to reveal a golden stone, similar to the moonstone. 

“Millennium ago, a phenomenal event had divided an ancient power in two. The Sundrop and Moondrop fell to Earth; two elements waiting to be reunited…” She glanced up at Quirin, confusion written all over her face. 

Slowly, shakily, she stood up and stumbled over. This was the one time she wanted shoes, what with the blood pooling at her toes. The man at her feet said nothing, simply staring down at the body with empty eyes. She heard whispers of soft footsteps behind her, indicating Eugene had followed with Varian in tow. 

Quirin’s mind was a whirlwind, chattering faster than he’d ever spoken. What ifs, curses, screams, but despite all that…

He didn’t feel guilty. Not in the slightest.

Was that wrong of him? He just killed the mother of his child, the only woman he ever loved, and he felt  _ nothing _ . Well, he felt relief. But regret, guilt, sorrow? None. Was this fatherly protection? His devotion to his king? Did he fall out of love? Maybe it was a mix of three. But then again, the woman he fell in love with and the woman he just killed were two wildly different people. Had she always been crazy and he’d just been blind, or did the moonstone corrupt her from its place in her womb?

It seems parenthood can change you for better  _ or _ worse. 

The princess kneeled down next to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. When he glanced up she smiled briefly, before glancing down at her breast. “Is this…?”

“The sundrop,” Quirin breathed, awe-stricken. “But how?” He glanced down at the woman (corpse) at his feet, and then over to Eugene and Varian. 

With a grunt, Rapunzel ripped it free from her body. It hummed faintly, bathing her in a golden glow that illuminated her hair back to blonde. How magnificent and haunting all at once; the source of her power that caused so much pain to her family, that caused her kidnapping… that caused her to meet the love of her life. 

It would be so easy to simply… reclaim it. To reabsorb its magic and regain the power to heal. But when she glanced around, at the destruction caused by its counterpart… 

“The only way to destroy the moonstone.” She said with an air of finality, clutching it tightly in her fist. “Is to reunite it with its equal.” Quirin nodded in agreement. It was kind of amusing, that the destruction of a cosmic entity was merely an afterthought in this scenario. 

Just tying up loose ends. 

In another reality, maybe Rapunzel and Eugene and Varian would have sought the moonstone out. Maybe they would have debated whether or not to reunite the stones, unsure of the damage it would cause to Rapunzel. 

But maybe someone else would have stolen it, harnessed it, and caused even more suffering untold. To her, to her friends, to her family…

A moan came from Eugene’s arms as Varian squirmed. His eyes remained shut, but he reached out a tiny hand for his dad to grasp. Internally, Eugene gave a massive sigh of relief. He’d been so worried that his son was gone, that he wouldn’t wake up without the moonstone. If that had been the case… god, he didn’t know what he’d do. Well, actually, Eugene knew exactly what he’d do (that being to reinsert the moonstone), but whether or not Quirin would let him is a whole other story.

“Bluebird? Can you hear me?” He whispered, gently shaking the boy. It was weird to see him without his signature hair stripe, almost as weird as long-haired-brunette Rapunzel. 

“Daddy… m’ tired,” Varian whined, curling into a warm chest and breathing in familiar cologne. He sighed, content. He would’ve fallen back asleep if not for Eugene gently rustling him.

“Sorry bud, I need you to wake up for a little bit,” he whispered, biting back a smile. With an overdramatic groan, Varian opened his eyes. It was a familiar routine. Almost as if they were back home and he was just waking Varian up for the day. “How do you feel? Does anything hurt?”

“My throat...” he was cut off by a weak cough. 

“Aw bud, I’m sorry, we’ll get you checked out at home, ok?” At Varian’s nod Eugene let out a massive sigh of relief. “I think Rapunzel needs you for a second.” He raised his eyes up to his girlfriend, who was now trailing a finger down Varian’s cheek. 

With a small smile, she helped Varian out of his dad’s arms and placed him onto the ground by her side. “Would you like to help me get rid of the rocks?” She asked, and he bit his thumb while nodding shyly. His eyes had trailed over to Quirin and… Rapunzel was quick to move her hair in the way. He didn’t need to see that. 

With a heavy, shaking hand, Quirin’s gloved hand reached out for the moonstone. He hesitated briefly, anxiously. What if it was absorbed by him? No, he couldn’t falter. He’d waited this long, salvation was within reach! 

He grasped it tight. It didn’t react. Perhaps it knew the sundrop was close? Or maybe it knew Quirin didn’t want to use it? Regardless, he didn’t question it. Shaking, he stood up to his full height and ambled over to mother and son. He and Varian locked eyes for a moment. The boy’s eyes were troubled, clouded with hazy fear, confusion, but also… acceptance? 

Quirin smiled. He held the stone out. “Would you like to do the honors, young man?” He whispered. 

“Um. Yea, ok.” Varian said and took it into his tiny hands. He was so small, what was dwarfed in Quirin’s hands required both of Varian’s to hold. He looked up at Rapunzel, who’s own stone began to flare with power as it sensed its other half. 

Eugene placed a hand on each of their shoulders. “Are we sure this is a good idea?” 

“Nope!” Cassandra snorted at the kid’s candor. 

“But whatever happens…” Rapunzel said, “We’ll face it together, as a family.” She looked pointedly over at Cassandra, who rolled her eyes. 

“Alright alright, I’m coming,” She said. 

“Yes, Auntie Cassie, join us!” Eugene chimed, earning an elbow in the arm. 

She stood on Rapunzel’s side, supporting her best friend as she held out the sundrop. Eugene readjusted so he was holding onto Varian from behind.

Quirin stood aside, finally content. 

The stones touched.

-

Varian skipped down the hallway with Ruddiger and cart in tow. The raccoon reached his tiny hands out, determined to swipe an apple from a nearby display. Just a little closer…!

The raccoon blinked as the apple vanished. He could’ve sworn it was there just a second ago… confused beady eyes glanced up at his best friend, only to chitter in delight when he saw Varian had stolen it. The child took a bite before handing it to Ruddiger to finish. 

“Excuse me!” Varian said to one of the maids (Faith? Felicity? Names are hard) “Have you seen mommy and Auntie Cassie?” 

The maid giggled. “In her highness’s room, I believe.” 

“Thank you miss!” He called. Faith shook her head, smiling. That boy was awful at sleight of hand, considering his father, but no one would care about a single apple. 

Things had been pretty quiet since coming home, in all honesty. In Varian’s opinion, a bit boring even. 

Well, the first few days home weren’t so quiet. Upon arriving at the palace all had been rushed to the infirmary, only to be let go with minor injuries. The only exception was Varian, who was confined to bed rest for a week. Getting poisoned half to death will do that to you. 

He’d spent the week constantly in the presence of his family who rotated out. He’d wake up to Rapunzel’s soft voice with breakfast handmade by Lance, light exercise with Cassandra (that usually involved learning how to use a wooden sword). Then Arianna would come teach him something, either basic Coronian history or math. He’d nap with Ruddiger, and finally Eugene would spend the rest of the day with him, from dinner to bedtime. It was paradise to the little boy.

At some point during the week, Hugo came by with a get well soon gift. He’d gushed to Varian nonstop about all they’d done in school, how cool the castle was, and hey is that a raccoon?

Hugo’s mom (who apparently knew Ulla, judging by her crestfallen face upon hearing her fate) watched over the boys while the king and Quirin got chewed out. Less so Quirin, since he already made up for it by, y’know, killing his ex.

“Let me get this straight, you changed the law after my kidnapping so birth parents always have primary custody?” Rapunzel rubbed her temples, frustrated. Frederick, for his part, at least looked guilty. 

“I wasn’t sure if you would’ve wanted to stay with whoever was raising you…!” 

“I feel like any little girl who finds out they’re a long lost princess would rather live with her birth parents,” Eugene muttered. 

“I was so worried about getting found out, that once it happened, I didn’t bother to actually look into it, I just… UGH! You should’ve at LEAST repealed it the second I came home!” 

“I… forgot?”

“SERIOUSLY?”

In the end, it was agreed that the law not only hurt Varian, but dozens of other abandoned kids who could never be adopted now. Suffice to say, it did not survive the day. In fact, Rapunzel immediately got to work creating a service for saving abused kids, and appointed Eugene in charge. 

“There’s no one here who could do better than you,” She said. “You suffered under our systems, and then saved our boy from the same fate. Twice. I trust that you’ll figure it out.”

Eugene smiled wetly, pressing his forehead to Rapunzel’s. “Sunshine, you’re going to be an amazing Queen, you know that?” He brushed a lock of hair out of her face. Now that her hair was breakable, she’d debated whether or not to cut it. Long hair was a part of her identity, after all, but without it’s magic she wasn’t sure it was worth the upkeep. In the end, she decided to cut it back, not as short as before, but rather a comfortable bob.

“And you’ll be amazing by my side.” She said, placing a kiss. 

Eugene wasn’t the only one to get an upgrade. Apparently Cassandra and her dad working together on the breakout plan meant he got to see her in action, as well as her dedication to protecting the royal family. Now, she was officially a royal guard, training to replace her father someday. 

Which meant Lance, as instructor, was her boss. 

Eugene feared for his life. 

Varian turned a corner before lifting Ruddiger out of the cart. He was getting heavy, and the cart couldn’t do stairs well on its own. Together they bounded up the steps into his mom’s room. 

“Hi Mama!” he cheered, running into her embrace. She easily scooped him up and twirled him around, prompting delighted squeals. Ruddiger curled around Rapunzel’s neck, joining Pascal.

“How’s my baby boy today?” She chimed.

“I’m good! Miss grandma said to come here,” He had no clue what to call Arianna; between the queen insisted she be grandma, the king wanted her to be addressed by title, and Eugene calling her ma’am, it all jumbled up in his head. 

“Yes, we need your help!” She said. 

Cassandra grimaced. “You need his help, I want no part in this.” 

“Aw, don’t be like that!”

“Listen, Raps, I adore you, but your taste in men is atrocious. And coming from me that’s a low blow.” She stuck her tongue out at the little one who let out a squawk of protest. With a wave, she left the room.

“What’s wrong with daddy!?” He cried after her, raising a fist. “Fight me!”

“Let’s not fight family, ok? Remember how well the last time turned out?” Rapunzel hissed between her teeth. Varian cocked his head, confused.

“But I won last time.”

Can’t argue with that. 

“Speaking of that…” Rapunzel hummed, carrying Varian over to her walls. From floor to ceiling paint covered nearly every surface, detailing her life and all the people in it. Front and center was a portrait of their family. Varian was nestled in between his mom and dad, with a beaming smile. “I know you won our fight for Eugene’s love but, I still love him. You know that, yea?”

“Mhm.”

“Well…” Her eyes trailed over to another drawing, this one much smaller; that of her coronation, when she’d turned down his proposal. 

It’d been about six months since that fateful day, six months that Varian has been with them. In that time Varian turned five. While they didn’t know his exact birthday, Quirin had been helpful in estimating around when Varian had been born, and they picked a random date around late March. It had been a pretty small party, what with everyone still reeling a bit. But it was nonetheless momentous for two reasons: one, Eugene’s gift to Varian had been his official adoption papers, and two, Rapunzel had decided she was ready to marry Eugene. Seeing her son so happy in the man’s arms… she wanted that. She wanted it forever. 

Hence why she asked Varian to come see her.

“You know what marriage is, right bud?” At his confirmation, she continued. “Well, me and your dad aren’t married… but I want to change that. If we got married, I’d become your mom officially, like how Eugene adopted you. Do you… would you like that?”

Varian blinked a few times. The gears in his head whirred to life, slowly cranking out a response. Finally, his sky blue eyes lit up in understanding and happiness. Mama wanted to stay with him forever! He nodded so fast it hurt, and he had to stop after a few seconds. 

“Thanks, baby,” Rapunzel said, overcome with joy. “Now, you can’t tell anyone about this, ok? I want it to be a surprise for daddy.”

“Can I tell Ruddiger…?”

“Yes, you can tell him.”

“What about Hugo?”

“I mean if you want…”

“Uncle Lance?”

“No, he’s terrible with secrets.”

-

Eugene hummed under his breath as he helped Varian get ready for the day. Both mother and son had been all giggly and whispery the day before; clearly they had a secret between them. “You gonna tell me what you and mom were talking about?”

Varian cocked his head in confusion. Oh gosh, it never got old, still just as cute as the first time! 

“Last night,” Eugene clarified.

Varian gasped, covering his mouth. He shook his head in despair. Daddy didn’t like keeping secrets from him, he said it was good to tell the truth… but mommy asked him to keep it to himself! Would she be mad if he told him?

“Don’t wanna spill?” Eugene teased, chuckling. He helped Varian into his new shirt. He never did find out what happened to Varian’s sailor outfit, the one he wore when he was with Ulla, but when the house blew up there was no way it survived. Now Varian wore a dark purple school uniform, with white buttons and ascot. His shoes were shiny and black, the pristine boarding school kind. There was a hat that went with it but Varian never wore it for more than a few minutes. 

Varian shook his head.

Eugene smirked. “Alright, how about I share a secret with you, hm? Maybe then you’ll tell me?” He took the silence as an invitation. “I’m gonna ask Rapunzel to marry me.” He almost said again, but Varian wasn’t there the first time, and he still wanted the kid to think positively of him. It felt nice to tell someone; he’d tell Lance but he was terrible with secrets. 

Varian looked like he was gonna explode. 

His dad burst out laughing. The kid’s cheeks were so puffed up you’d mistake him for a blowfish, and his face burned red. He opened his mouth, but bit down on his hand to muffle his words, and stomped his feet in frustration. Frustrated tears bubbled up and, had it not been for his dad’s calloused hands, would’ve fallen down. 

“Oh, bud,” Eugene wheezed. “It’s ok, you don’t have to tell me, alright? But I wanted to tell you that. I was going to propose tonight.”

Tonight!? Rapunzel and he were planning for tonight too! He was gonna sing a song! At his distraught face, Eugene quickly backpedaled.

“Bluebird I still love you! I know you technically won that fight but I’m still gonna love her, but you’re still my little boy! Are you mad?”

“No!” Varian whined. He hated that he couldn’t tell him why he was upset! Daddy was so good at cheering him up. 

“No?”

“No.” 

Exasperated, Eugene picked his son up and left his bedroom for the day. “Well when you’re ready to tell me, you come get me, hm? No pouting.”

-

He pouted the rest of the day. 

It sucked.

Eugene could tell it was stressing Varian just as much as it was stressing him, but because Varian refused to talk, it made the whole situation that much worse. He thought maybe he was just mad at him, but apparently he wouldn’t even talk to Lance! And he loved Lance! 

Varian hated being quiet! He was the biggest chatterbox when he wanted to be! The last time he was this quiet towards his family was back when he first moved in. But still the boy held his tongue. If he didn’t, he might accidentally tell someone! And he couldn’t even tell Rapunzel or Cassie, since they were busy all day! 

Maybe today’s just an off day, Eugene thought as Varian pushed his food around at dinner. He looked so miserable, like he was near tears, and it pulled at his heartstrings. Eventually Varian gave up on trying to eat, and that was Eugene’s cue for an early bedtime.

For his part, Varian didn’t really complain all that much. But then again, if he complained, he might slip up! 

“Just double checking, bud.” Eugene said after he tucked the boy in. Varian’s little onesie was so precious, covered in clouds and a sun on his chest. “You’re not upset about me proposing to Rapunzel?”

In all honesty, he was more worried about nightmares. All of their hard work building up Varian’s confidence had crumbled like a stack of cards thanks to Ulla. He was wary of guards and staff, unsure if any of them would turn them back over for experiments. 

Even though Eugene had explained to Varian that his momma could never hurt him again, that he was safe and no one would ever take him away from him, that really wasn’t true. For one, Rapunzel was living proof of that. But more importantly, Ulla’s claws dug deep into the boy’s mind, haunting his dreams. At least once a week, even now, Varian would wake with horrible screams and visions of electric chairs and amber formulas and rocks. He was bouncing back a lot faster than the first time around, but there was a reason he’d started looking around Corona for a child psychiatrist. 

“No…” Varian sighed. He may be bummed about their plans, but if the end result was the same, he couldn’t really be too upset. Right? He picked at his sheets. “Just wanted to see mama…”

Eugene smiled sadly. “I’ll have her come see you after our date, ok?” With a kiss to the forehead, the father left the room. 

Varian waited a few moments.

Then he slipped out of bed.

Regardless of whether or not his and Rapunzel’s plans were ruined, he’s not missing this proposal! Honestly he was a little offended Eugene didn’t ask him to help. He could’ve been like, “Will you be my mommy?”. But then again, Rapunzel already was his mommy. So maybe not those exact words.

Whatever! The point remained! 

He peeked down the corner, where Eugene and Rapunzel were talking. Ruddiger’s tail swished in Varian’s face, making it impossible for him to make out what they were saying. But judging by the box Eugene hid behind his back, and the chest Rapunzel hid behind hers, it was something about a surprise on their date tonight.

Man, adults were weird. Why all the secrets and cryptic speech? 

They walked side by side, neither looking at the gifts hidden away, nor at Varian trailing behind them like a lost puppy. 

“I heard Varian was cranky today,” Rapunzel snickered at the face her boyfriend made in response. He looked like he’d swallowed a lemon. Which, to be fair, wasn’t too far off from his “smolder”. And he wondered why she didn’t fall for it. 

“Yea, a bit,” he said. “He didn’t want to tell me what you two have been up to.” At this, she raised an eyebrow. In all honesty, she expected him to cave. Her sweet little boy kept it together! Well, maybe not emotionally. She’ll grab a cupcake for him later. 

“Well, I think he’ll be in a much better mood tomorrow,” she hummed. “I was surprised you wanted to go on a boat ride instead of our other plan.”

“Yea well, I had an idea.” 

“A good one?” She shrieked when he jokingly poked her stomach. 

Varian followed them quietly, his padded footsies keeping him undetected. The night chill nipped at his cheeks, turning them red as an apple. But he didn’t care. He kept following until his parents approached a boat and rowed out a small ways. It was far enough that Varian probably couldn’t swim it, but he could still see them. The soft sound of waves filled his ears, the moon’s lullaby trying to soothe its kin. But Varian’s focus was solely on his family. 

“To think, about a year ago we were out here…” the princess glanced up at the starry sky. “And now…” She glanced over to see Eugene’s warm, loving smile.

“So, are we going to share gifts now or later?” Eugene joked. “It’s kinda funny, since today’s not really anything special, but we still got each other gifts.” 

Rapunzel hummed, smiling. “This one isn’t just for you.” She glanced down at the box, an ornate, mahogany chest her mom gave her for the occasion. “It was supposed to be ready at Varian’s birthday but I figured I’d just give both of them to you.” Eugene’s smile turned even softer, if that was even possible. His heart was so warm, he half expected to burn from the inside out. The chest creaked open, and he gasped. 

“Oh, blondie…”

There were two crowns sitting on plush blue velvet. Eugene’s was a dark silver, almost black under the moon’s shine. It had three prongs, not unlike Rapunzel’s tiara, though these were much pointier. Embedded on the middle prong was a gleaming violet stone, reflecting the color of Corona. Varian’s was relatively simple, more of a circlet. Also silver, it had the same loops as Rapunzel’s, with a myriad of blue stones instead of her red. 

Eugene let out a shaky breath, almost nervous to touch them. “Rapunzel, these are…!” It felt almost wrong to have them. A year ago he’d tried to steal hers, and now he’s getting one of his own? But he couldn’t deny how much he  _ wanted _ this. Not the crowns per say (well, that’s a lie; he may not be a thief anymore but he still loved the finer things in life) but to belong, to match with the loves of his life. 

There was one nagging question though. “How’d you get your dad to agree?”

Rapunzel snorted. Around the same time she’d blown up at her dad, she’d found out about the nobility’s haggling in regards to him and Varian. “I told him we’d give him another grandkid.” Eugene choked on his own spit. “Uh, can we, um, raincheck on that? Varian’s already enough,” He wheezed. With his anxieties soothed, he reached out, fingers brushing against the cool metal. “I gotta say, these are  _ pretty _ nice. Just big enough to not mess up my hair! Aw, blondie, you think of everything.” He struck a pose. “How do I look?”

“Like a king,” Rapunzel beamed. She reached into her pocket, ready to give him the other gift. “Speaking of king-”

“Hold that thought, it’s my turn!” Eugene said, holding up a finger. He missed his girlfriend’s pout.

Across the bay, Varian pouted as well. “This is boring,” he whined to Ruddiger. 

“So, speaking of kings,” Eugene said, and Rapunzel rolled her eyes fondly, but softened when Eugene’s face turned more serious. “I know the last time I asked was… less than perfect. And in the time since that… so much has happened,” that was an understatement, and they both knew it. “You asked me to wait, and I just want you to know that I am fully willing to wait still. But… I just wanted to… check in?” He opened the box to reveal a cupcake. But before Rapunzel could question it, Pascal grabbed the cherry, revealing a ring on top of the frosting. She gasped.

“Rapunzel… will you marry me?”

Her eyes brimmed with tears of joy. She sniffled, reaching into her pocket. “Only if you marry me,” she laughed, revealing the golden band she had. Eugene’s face lit up, and smiled harder than he ever had. The night was full of silence, just the two of them as they swapped bands. 

“HEY! DID YOU DO IT YET?”

Eugene burst into silent laughter, burrowing his face onto Rapunzel’s shoulder as his own shook with mirth. Honestly, he didn’t know why he expected any less. Of course Varian would try and follow them. His fiance (!!) grabbed the oars, rowing back to shore where their son bounced up and down with impatience. 

The moment they stepped out onto the dock, they got an armful of child. “Oof!” Eugene wheezed. “I thought you went to bed, young man?”

“Nope!”

Rapunzel hummed. “But didn’t your daddy put you to bed?”

“Uhuh. I just got up again.”

Eugene barked out a laugh, sweeping Varian up into his arms, much to the boy’s delight. He shrieked with joy, clutching his dad’s neck tight. Rapunzel couldn’t help but join in, wrapping both of them into a bear hug. 

The small family’s laughter rang out into the night air, up towards the moon. 

It shined just a bit brighter. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this the end...?
> 
> No ofc not I'm a nutjob LMAO  
> I have so many lil baby ideas that were either too short to go here, or happen after AL, or didn't go with the story flow that I want to write! I'm debating whether to do it like VVO where they're all in one fic or just spam the varian tag. As always please leave a comment if you enjoyed this, thank you so much!  
> If you have any specific requests for baby oneshots I'm always open on tumblr :)

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be honest I have an idea for an overarching plot but this may just end up being a bunch of baby Varian dad Eugene oneshots. Whatever I'm feeling. We'll see.


End file.
